


Through Her Eyes

by MousyCh



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M, Hogwarts, Magic, Marauders' Era
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-06-26
Updated: 2018-10-20
Packaged: 2018-11-19 12:06:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 77
Words: 189,053
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11313051
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MousyCh/pseuds/MousyCh
Summary: Ophelia Molley born Gaunt had more secrets than any other witch her age and none were about boys or cheating on a test. Ophelia's secrets ran so deep that she found herself involved in one of the worst times of the wizarding world.Prequel to Thick Smoke.





	1. That Awful Spring

   
This story doesn't begin with a dramatic scene. No, this story begins with the day _she_ was born: a wanted child, a beloved child.  
  
"I know every child is cute as a baby but yours is just a bit cuter than the others." A tall young man told his friend.   
  
The woman holding the baby chuckled and looked down into those amazing pale green eyes. Her baby looked slightly different than her mother, inheriting the black hair of her father and elongated big eyes that looked more like a snake’s than a fox’s. Nevertheless, the red haired woman was glad to hold such a cute little baby girl.  
  
"Does he know about your plan?" The young man added with a frown.  
  
The woman shifted in her bed uncomfortably. Lillian Gaunt was her name. It was known around the world of her connection to a certain dangerous man. She’s been warned of his quality to impress and manipulate the people around him according to his needs and desires.  
   
"No. Tom's been leaving for long periods of time and always returns in a bad mood. I’ve been avoiding him for the last few days but he doesn’t seem to mind. He’s planning something bigger and more dangerous than we imagine." She answered curtly, throwing a quick glance at her daughter.  
  
"You fell into his charms too easily. Dumbledore warned you-“  
   
“Dumbledore is one man. He can’t be everywhere at the same time and he was late, anyway. We both know it was his plan all along.” She said bitterly, her Scottish accent overflowing every syllable.  
   
"I know. I know. But now it’s different. Coming to Hogwarts was your escape and-“He stopped and sighed heavily, grabbing a hand through his messy bundle of red hair. “Hogwarts used to feel like home until he came, you know.”  
   
Lillian raised an eyebrow and leaned back, the baby in her arms cooing cutely.  
   
“Have you told your father about this?” He asked, changing the subject.  
   
“I prefer to raise my child far away from both of them. But yes, Morfin knows. He was delighted when I told him that mom died a very long time ago and he was very clear when he told me I’ll inherit nothing." Lillian added coldly, rolling her eye at the mere thought. “Like I want anything to do with him in the first place, ha!”  
   
The baby must have felt her mother’s annoyance because she frowned. Lillian looked down into those green eyes and smiled, her expression softening immediately.  
  
Vernon Peverell, the other red head in the room, though his was a brighter color and messier, frowned. His blue eyes fell over the baby girl and couldn’t help feel a tinge of jealousy. That baby could have been his. But she wasn’t; she was Tom’s. Everything Vernon Peverell ever wanted was already Tom’s. It was irritating, especially since Lillian and Tom were relatives and no pure blooded family could accept this except the Gaunts.  
   
“Are you sure you want me to be your Secret Keeper?” He asked for what felt like a hundredth time already.  
   
“Yes. We talked about this before, haven’t we? Who can I trust if not you, Vernon?”  
   
Peverell had a few ideas why he shouldn't be trusted with such a big responsibility. Firstly, Tom Riddle Jr was one of the best wizards of his age and you had to be utterly stupid to go against him willingly. But there he was, descendant of the Peverell family, risking his life and sanity for love.  
   
“Dumbledore or someone else from Hogwarts. You’ve always been one of Minerva’s precious pupils. She’d laugh and express joy with her face, something she doesn’t do very well usually.” He mumbled, making her laugh.  
   
“You know why she likes me. I just hope my magic will be inherited.” Lillian whispered, having her baby grasp her finger and bringing it to her mouth.

* * *

  
Seven years later and Vernon Peverell was living the life his ancestors only dreamed of. He had a small cottage in Scotland where he was known as the man who could create fireworks with his hands. But Vernon's happiness was pouring out from one reason only: Lillian. She'd come with her daughter and spend weeks at his house, bathing in sun light and silence. Vernon found himself living the illusion of a happy relationship and he quickly became attached to Lillian’s daughter, Ophelia.  
   
But that day was special. It was a gloomy day of spring, rain pouring cats and dogs, flooding the outskirts of the village he was living in. But something in the air was making that day feel colder than it was. Vernon was an experimented man and knew when death was knocking on his door.  
  
The redhead squeezed his wand tightly and waited in the living room. The front door slammed open and a cloaked man entered the house like it was his own. Vernon knew he had to play cool but his heart was beating really fast.   
  
"What an unexpected visit. I never knew we were so close as to know where each other lives, Tom." Vernon said coldly, getting up and watching the cloaked wizard warily.  
  
“A wizard like yourself, living among muggles; you ended up being a disappointment to pure bloods.” Tom answered in that certain manner of his, reminding Vernon why he hated the dark wizard so much.  
   
“We can’t all be perfect, can we?”  
   
Vernon tensed when Tom pulled off his cloak, revealing his pale face. The redhead invited his guest in and Tom accepted his offer, sitting on the couch Vernon just got up from.  
  
“You know very well why I am here. She’s been gone for 7 years already and I wouldn’t mind it so much if it was just about her.” Tom continued, sounding very relaxed as if he was speaking to a friend.  
   
"Of course, Lillian is nothing but an accessory you can easily get rid of. You’ve always done it with people: use them and dispose of them afterwards. I’m surprised you still have a few followers from school.”  
   
“There will be more when I will make myself understood. We have to stick together, you and I. We’re heirs of strong pure blooded families.” Tom spoke, proud of his heritage.  
   
Vernon sighed and squeezed his wand, having the desire to kill the man who knew nothing but power and pride.  
   
“You’re going to drown in your ego one day. You’ll definitely meet your match and he’ll hurt you where it hurts the most.”  
   
“Enough with this charade!” Tom yelled, getting up and turning to Vernon. “Tell me where Lillian is and you can return to your generic life.”  
   
It took every ounce of will he had in his body to stand straight and look into those icy eyes.  
   
“No.”  
  
Tom Riddle was annoyed and he wasn’t hiding it. He was glaring at the redhead with so much hatred that his first thought was to kill him. But no, he couldn't. The Peverells were known for centuries to have courage in the face of Death so he decided to punish Vernon in a different way.  
   
"Where is Lillian?" Tom asked once more, taking a step towards Vernon. "Do you believe that I don't know why you're protecting her, Vernon? You are so obvious and pitiful. You expect she will fall in love with you. Those are just lies. I know her Vernon. She is part of my blood." He hissed, his voice fluctuating with the information he was throwing at Peverell.  
  
Vernon sighed and looked down at his feet.  
  
"It's not about Lillian anymore." Vernon muttered.  
  
Tom raised an eyebrow, his eyes set on the pitiful wizard in front of him.   
  
"Love is not for wizards like us, Vernon. Love makes you weak." The dark wizard hissed.   
  
"That child-" Vernon started, "-that child is your daughter. If you kill her mother you will curse her entire life."   
  
Tom watched Vernon for a few minutes before he started to laugh loudly. Standing there, ready to defend himself, Vernon felt his blood running cold and every ounce of happiness slipping from his body.   
  
"Very well then."   
  
With one elegant sway of his wand, Tom had Vernon pushed up into the air by an invisible force. The dark wizard walked towards him calmly and forced the redhead to drink some liquid. Vernon spat it over Tom's cloak but with another sway of wand, Vernon was immobilized. Tom forced the Veritaserum down his throat and waited patiently, his eyes sparkling with eagerness.   
  
"Now, where is she? Where is Lillian?" Tom asked, visibly calmer than before.   
  
Vernon tried his best to keep his mouth shut but his mind had the answer. Tom stared at him for a while, looking at him as if he was searching deep into his soul. When he got the answer he wanted, Tom's eyes darkened before he pointed the tip of his wand at Vernon.  
   
Peverell had time for one thing alone and that was informing Lillian of the danger that was coming. 

* * *

  
In Clifden, West Ireland was a house just like any other house built for a large family, hidden between thick trees. It looked like whoever was living there was a very private person.  
  
It was a sunny day, that one, which was the first after a long series of gloomy days. A girl around 7 years old with short brown hair and pale green eyes was playing in the garden, finding out that she could create things from thin air.  
  
Her mother was standing aside, watching her daughter with a soft smile. Lillian was happy to see that her daughter was already showing signs of empty handed magic from such a young age. They were living quietly and the people from the village would rarely come over to watch what looked like an old abandoned house.  
  
“Mommy, look! A fox!” Little Ophelia exclaimed in delight, pointing at the fox running towards the red haired woman.  
  
But that wasn’t just a fox, it was a Patronus form. It didn’t have to say anything but nod its head for Lillian to know what was wrong.  
  
“He’s coming.” Lillian whispered.  
  
Her eyes snapped to Ophelia, who was gawking over the cute Patronus. Feeling her mother’s heavy gaze on her, she looked up and frowned. Lillian’s face paled and panic was visible all over her being.  
  
“Ophelia darling, you have to hide. Go into my room on the second floor and hide in the dresser.” Lillian told her daughter, her tone sending the right message across.  
  
Ophelia nodded and ran into the house, entering through the back door. Lillian took a deep breath and looked at the sky. Her beautiful lifestyle was going to end just as tragically as it begun. Her thoughts were only about Ophelia and her future and it was worrying. She didn’t ask anyone to look over her child because she knew if she’d die, Vernon would know what to do. Now, she only hoped he was alive.  
  
Lillian entered the house in a hurry and heard a buzzing sound from the kitchen. Something was interfering with the radio and she knew what that was.  
  
With Ophelia safely hidden by wizards and witches in a secret compartment in the dresser, Lillian was left to prepare for the end. She was a talented witch but Tom was different.  
  
The front door suddenly opened and even the kid could hear the heavy steps of a man that was bringing death wherever he was going.  
  
Lillian glared at the stairs before she opened a secret compartment in the wall from the far back of the hall. Her hands were shaking as she checked for something very precious that has been hidden in there from her last visit home. She wanted to give it to Dumbledore but didn’t get the opportunity.  
  
The woman rushed into a different room that had a small beautiful white owl and gave him a letter and a ring.  
  
“Send the letter to Dumbledore and drop the ring back where it belongs.” Lillian ordered.  
  
The owl could feel his master’s anxiety and nodded without making a fuss like before. He sprang his wings and flied through the window, not once looking back.  
  
Lillian walked into the hall and closed the secret compartment in the wall before taking one last glance at her room. She had been entangled into his web for far too long and she had too many regrets that were still haunting her. That man tainted everything in her life and she didn’t want that to happen to her daughter as well.  
  
“How did you find me?” Lillian asked in a thick Scottish accent.  
  
“I see you have been very busy, Lillian. This house has every possible protection around it.” Tom said, looking at the walls before turning his attention on her. “Very impressive, I must say.”  
  
Lillian looked nothing but afraid. Before her was the man that pretty much raised her, the one who she fell in love with and had a child with. It didn’t matter that he planned everything because she was just as much of a dark wizard as he was.  
  
“How did you find me, Tom? The Charm-“  
  
“Your little friend, the Peverell, he told me where you are. You didn’t choose your Secret Keeper wisely, cousin.” He responded, his eyes narrowing at the woman. “Now, where is my daughter?”  
  
“What have you done with Vernon?” She changed the subject, hoping she could buy more time.  
  
Tom sighed, “He might be still alive. Now my daughter. Where is Ophelia?”  
  
Lillian’s eyes widened as she pointed her hand at her cousin. Tom chuckled bemusedly, taking one step towards her. His grasp around his wand tightened but the door towards his left cracked open and Ophelia’s chubby face appeared from behind it.  
  
“Go back inside, Ophelia! This man-this man-“  
  
With one simple sway of his wand, the woman known as Lillian Gaunt was dead. Ophelia gasped and ran back inside the room, hiding.  
  
Tom thrashed the house but couldn’t find the little chubby girl. He looked everywhere before making himself heard through the house, like an amplified echo.  
  
“Wherever you go, I will find you. Rest assured, Ophelia, your place by my side is irreplaceable.” He breathed out before disapparating.


	2. Lost

Minerva McGonagall was preparing for her Transfiguration lesson when a cute white owl entered through the window and landed straight in front of her. The owl was familiar but it’s been a while since Minerva has heard from that particular student of hers. Nonetheless, the owl was there and he looked panicked. He jumped closer to the professor and looked up at her with what looked to be teary eyes. In that moment, Minerva knew something very wrong happened, snatched the letter from the owl and rushed out of her office. Her face was contorted into an expression of shock and pity and by the time she found Professor Dumbledore, she was already tearing up.  
  
“What is it, Minerva?” He asked, noticing her expression.  
  
She only handed him the letter and waited patiently for her colleague to give the announcement.  
Dumbledore read the letter slowly, his blue eyes not widening once at the containment.  
  
 _Dear Professor Dumbledore,_  
  
 _By the time you get this letter, I will be already dead. I have lived a life under constant watch but I treasured it and treasured my family to some extent._  
  
 _I have returned what is not mine and I consider that is the best place to hide something so powerful._  
  
 _I would appreciate if my daughter could be looked after by you not by my cousin. I’m sorry I couldn’t say my farewells in person but circumstances wouldn’t let me._  
  
 _Please, don’t let her get entangled into his web. Ophelia should never know who her father is. Never._  
  
 _Lillian Gaunt_  
  
Once he read everything, Dumbledore rushed out of his office, Minerva following closely.  
  
“What should we do now? The child, he can’t get the child.” She said in a hurry.  
  
Dumbledore walked out and turned to her before he smiled sadly.  
  
“Our priority is her safety. If Tom will ever find her, I’d like it to be at an older age when she can decide for herself.” He said softly, though very worried.  
  
“What is that supposed to mean? Albus, he can never find her. She’s his opportunity for-“ She stopped, shuddering at the thought.  
  
Dumbledore placed a comforting hand on her shoulder before turning around and leaving.

* * *

  
 Before Dumbledore got to Ireland, someone else apparated in the house. Vernon Peverell found Lillian’s dead body first and gave a loud cry. He loved her more than she ever knew and seeing those beautiful eyes lifeless was breaking his heart.  
  
His ears perked when he heard light movement in her room and pushed it open. He came face to face with a crying and scared Ophelia and followed her to her mother’s side. The young girl cried even more at the sight of her mother’s corpse and took refuge next to her body.  
  
When Dumbledore entered, he found the house in a bad state. It was obvious someone searched wildly for something but he couldn’t find it. He looked up and licked his lips nervously. Dumbledore knew what was up there and that sentiment of anticipation was cringing.  
  
Crouched next to a dead body was a scared little girl who didn’t know who to trust. Dumbledore walked towards her slowly and bent in front of her. His eyes first fell over Lillian feeling conflicted with the way she died. However, she was such a sly witch that she didn’t give him the stone but placed it back where she took it from.  Next, he turned towards the child. Ophelia looked like a chubby version of her mother yet her eyes were giving off a different vibe. Dumbledore looked closely at the girl, a bit reluctant to help her. That was Tom’s child and there were high chances for her to follow her father later on; those eyes were a sign. But Dumbledore couldn’t find it in himself to leave her in misery.  
  
“Ophelia, my name is Albus Dumbledore. I will help you but you have to promise me something.” He started.  
  
Ophelia seized him up before nodding.  
  
“Forget the man you saw today. Forget everything and look forward to a better life. You have to trust me, alright?”  
  
In that moment, Dumbledore’s comforting presence was the only light that she could see in the house. He was the only one helping her in her most miserable moment of her life. Dumbledore reached his hand out for her and she grabbed it tightly.  
  
As Dumbledore disapparated with Ophelia, a black kitten with bright blue eyes remained by Lillian’s side. That kitten watched Ophelia walk away from his life and he looked down at his paws, disappointed. The little glimpse of happiness he had left just vanished before his eyes.

* * *

  
Dumbledore apparated in a dark alley, encouraging the little girl to walk into the street. He led her to an impressively decorated building called Bread of Life Orphanage. It was intimidating, especially when a woman dressed in a blue and white uniform walked to greet them.  
  
Dumbledore talked for a while with the nurse and the woman peeked once or twice at the child. It was a bad day and Ophelia felt it in her bones; her father was very angry.  
  
After a few more minutes, Dumbledore looked down at her and smiled, though it didn’t reach his eyes.  
  
“Trust me, alright?” He told her again.  
  
The nurse smiled to Ophelia and grabbed her hand, leading her inside the orphanage. Dumbledore remained outside, watching Tom’s heir enter the building. He felt his heart cringe, knowing Ophelia’s life was never going to stray from dark magic. The snake was all around her.  
  
Ophelia Gaunt has lived her seven years of life secluded in her mother’s bubble. Safety would always come first, next secrecy and happiness was last. She always found joy in the smallest things: the wind’s breeze on a fresh morning after raining, flowers blossoming under her watch and the little tricks she could do.  
  
Much like Dumbledore asked, Ophelia avoided thinking of the man that killed her mother and slowly forgot how he looked or sounded.  
  
Unfortunately, peculiar things were happening to her: from time to time, lights would licker in her room or fire would arise from nowhere. It depended a lot on her moods and the way she was treated. The nurses were nice women but very strict while the other children were always messing around. That was how one year passed for Ophelia. Eventless.  
  
Then, during a fieldtrip to Aviemore, something happened.  
  
“I bet you don’t have the courage to enter the forest.” One boy taunted his friend.  
  
“They say it’s haunted. Not even you can enter, Paul.” A slightly shorter and more fragile looking boy combated.  
  
Paul raised an eyebrow and bloated with pride, “My father was an archeologist. He died in an expedition in Egypt. Bravery is a family trait, Marcus.”  
  
The other children whispered to each other, eager to see who will go in the forest. It wasn’t every day such a competition would arise in Bread of Life orphans. In the end, Paul entered Rothiemurchus Forest alone.  
  
The orphans waited fifteen minutes but no sign of Paul. They waited another half an hour yet nothing. The nurses were already gathering the children to go back to Birmingham and Paul was still gone.  
  
Ophelia was worried, especially with her roommates whispering about the worst kind of stories.  
  
“Maybe the ghosts ate him.” Rosaline, the girl owning the bed next to the door, said.  
  
“Or maybe the faeries of the forest. I heard this is their favorite spot in Britain.” Evelyn, the girl owning the bed across Ophelia’s, added.  
  
“Or maybe he got lost.” Ophelia finally said, being more realistic than the others. “We should tell Miss Glenmore about him. She’ll know what to do.”  
  
Marcus came over and grabbed her hand, “Don’t. We’ll get in real trouble and we won’t get dessert anymore.” He said, his widened eyes looking at Ophelia with fear.  
  
“But-“She stopped when Miss Glenmore came over and ushered them towards the car.  
  
They had to get in line in order to get counted. Ophelia knew sooner or later the nurses will notice Paul’s disappearance but what if it was too late by then? She looked at the forest over her shoulder and felt cold air brush her ankles. Scared yet at the same time worried, Ophelia slipped away from the group and ran into the forest.  
  
It was definitely not what she imagined. With all the stories about ghosts and fairies and horror, the forest looked just like any other. Up close, the vegetation was wilder than in other parts but still under human control and the trees were amazingly tall yet not out of ordinary. As she was walking deeper into the forest, she noticed slight changes that weren’t making much sense. The trees looked like they were growing as she was passing them and their trunks were getting larger and darker. Light was dimming and the vegetation seemed to rarefy.  It felt like she was entering a different side of the forest, one that was shifting right in front of her.  
  
She walked over one specific branch and the darkness vanished. It was brighter than normally in Britain and it looked beautiful. Her eyes widened as she spun around, gawping at the perfectly sculptured trees and flowers that were sparkling.  
  
“Pheli? Ophelia! How did you find this place?!” Paul screamed from a few feet towards left.  
  
“I just walked and found myself here.”  
  
Paul’s eyes widened, sparkling with joy and curiosity, “Right?! It’s like a force leads you in here. It’s amazing!”  
  
“But what if it’s the fairies? This looks like a perfect spot for them.” She whispered, her eyes narrowing at everything. “It looks like a place from a fairytale.”  
  
But Paul wasn’t listening. He was explaining everything he found out in that hour he was gone. Now that she thought about it, Ophelia remembered why she got in in the first place.  
  
“We have to go back. Miss Glenmore is probably searching for us right now.”  
  
“I don’t know how. I don’t know which way I came from.” Paul answered simply.  
  
Ophelia looked around and realized she forgot too. She walked back towards the sparkling flowers but there was a tree now, impossible to pass. The forest was so quiet and the sun was so bright that it looked like a painting from the side.  
  
“How do we get back?” She wondered out loud, fear crawling up her spine.

* * *

  
 An hour passed and two 8 years old orphans were lost in the forest. Miss Glenmore called the police and the locals paired up in two searching groups. But for some reason, they couldn’t find the orphans. Two hours passed and Paul’s stomach was grumbling so loud that even Ophelia felt hungry. Three hours passed and Ophelia swore she saw something move from the corner of her eye.  
  
The brunette girl got up and went back in front of the sparkling flowers. She crouched in front of them and plucked one off. Her eyes narrowed suspiciously when the bulb coughed pollen on her shirt and fell limp. Paul walked behind her and gasped. The flowers lost their sparkles and closed their petals. A loud scream filled the forest, coming from distance.  
  
“Maybe it’s Miss Glenmore?” Paul asked innocently.  
  
Another scream filled the forest, this time closer than before. The wind picked up and the sunlight dimmed. The two children turned towards a particular tree with a dark red trunk. It trembled right in front of them before another scream filled the air. The two glanced at each other before Paul grabbed Ophelia’s hand and ran the other side.  
  
“Wait! The scream came from-“She stopped, another scream coming from a few feet from them.  
  
Paul froze in fear as he searched for a way out. The trees were blocking the paths and flowers were falling limp while the grass became yellow.  
  
“Maybe there are ghosts and fairies in here.” He mumbled, his face pale and hands shaking.  
  
Searching for the course of the screams, Ophelia noticed something a few feet obliquely to where they were. She took a few steps and moved the branches aside, aware she might come face to face with something dangerous. Ophelia walked into a clearing that looked pretty much dead. The vegetation was dead and the leaves were rotten, giving off a nasty smell.  
  
Another scream filled the air but it was coming from another side completely. She turned around, ready to run back but something appeared in front of her. Something dark, cloaked, deadly. The air around her became so cold that she could see the vapor from her breathing. Looking at the creature, she felt like she was back in Ireland, hearing her mother die. Then it struck her: the scream was very familiar.  
  
“Ophelia!”  
  
Paul’s voice was faint as the creature flied closer to her and opened a mouth that looked like a hole. She felt the pain surface from the corners of her mind and heart and felt her soul being ripped apart. She opened her mouth and screamed as loud as she could but she couldn’t hear anything.  
  
The pain stopped abruptly when something bright entered the clearing and chased the dark creature away. Her savior was unknown. Ophelia fainted, Dumbledore’s words coming into her mind.  
  
 _“Forget the man you saw today. Forget everything and look forward to a better life.”_

* * *

  
 Ophelia woke up in the hospital, in Stirling. She was dizzy and couldn’t remember what happened.  
  
“Dear child, you’re fine. Thank God, you scared everyone.” Miss Glenmore started relief all over her face.  
  
“What happened? Where are the others?” Ophelia asked confused.  
  
“Director Blair took them back to Birmingham. This was supposed to be a fun weekend in Scotland, not a searching party.” She spoke firmly yet softened up when she looked at Ophelia’s drowsy eyes. “Paul is fine. He’s a few doors down, resting. You’re lucky that man showed up. He knew exactly where you two were.” Miss Glenmore added, rubbing Ophelia’s forehead fondly.  
  
“What man?”  
  
“I don’t remember his name but he was very helpful. He led the officers to you and left shortly after. Ah, he did say something! He told me to tell you that he’s concerned for your well being. He advised us to keep a close eye on you.” She continued.  
  
Ophelia frowned before leaning back and letting her mind wander. Something happened in the forest but she couldn’t remember what or the reason she fainted.


	3. Magic

Thanks to their little adventure, Ophelia and Paul got back to Birmingham two days after the rest which automatically meant the other orphans would ask questions. They didn’t. They were eager to ask but director Blair was ready to punish whoever dared speak a word about that unfortunate event. That was the code name: unfortunate event. If children wanted to speak about it, they’d call it that or the fairy event. The girls were sure that fairies kidnapped Paul and Ophelia and they let them go when more people entered the forest. The boys wanted to believe it was the Tree Monster, character made up by Paul.  
  
It was very strange for the next months. Paul could vaguely remember things from the forest but Ophelia’s memories about that incident were completely erased. She tried to make something in order to remember but it was in vain. All the peculiar stuff around her intensified to the point she almost caught fire in her own bed. By the time director Blair came in, the children were confused and the fire around Ophelia vanished. Moments like that followed in the next year until something amazing happened.  
  
“Pheli, come! There’s a family here! They want to adopt you!” Rosaline whispered, urging for her roommate to follow her.  
  
There was a family, a man and a woman, looking very posh. The door to director Blair’s was closed but there was a certain crack in the wall, a small hollow made by Marcus and the other boys. Ophelia peeked inside and listened.  
  
“Are you sure you want to adopt her? She’s a bit peculiar.” The director whispered to a man who was twice her height.  
  
The man nodded, “We’ve seen her at every visit and my wife fell in love with her.”  
  
“Are you sure? Once you adopt her, she will get attached to you and your wife. She’s not a toy, Mr. Molley.”  
  
“I am very much aware of that, Mrs. Blair. I want to raise this child as if she’s my own flesh and blood.” Mr. Molley answered coldly, a bit offended.  
  
“Very well then. You have to know that Ophelia’s mother died during a robbery and her father has been missing for a while. From what I know, he doesn’t want anything to do with her.”  
  
That might have been correct but Ophelia frowned. She’s never met her father but she wanted to; she wanted to ask him where he has been all this time.  
  
Mrs. Blair continued to give more details about the custody process but Ophelia retreated into her room. Rosaline and Evelyn followed her and sat down on her bed.  
  
“You should be happy. You’ll have a family.” Rosaline started, playing with her cherry blonde hair.  
  
“It feels like I’m being tossed to some strangers.” Ophelia mumbled, leaning her chin on her knees. “Besides, I do have a father.”  
  
“He doesn’t want you. You’ve been here for three years and he didn’t visit once.”  Evelyn mumbled sorrowfully, “My mother is the same. She gave me away just to run off with a French man.”  
  
“But I don’t want to leave.” Ophelia mumbled, feeling lonelier than ever before.  
  
But it wasn’t her choice. Richard and Gloria Molley adopted the 9 years old Ophelia and after a few months, she moved in with them. Unlike what she imagined, life was happier. There were a lot of things Ophelia didn’t know and Gloria Molley was delighted to teach her daughter everything. But peculiar things were still happening to her; she just kept them hidden from her new parents.  
  


* * *

  
 During a birthday party in the neighborhood, a magician came over to perform. A bunch of ten years old children were enjoying themselves with parents watching over them from their little table.  
  
“See this topper? I can make funny things appear from it!” The magician told the children. “Abracadabra, mini moo!” He chanted, swaying his hand over the topper. He walked in front of a boy and pushed the topper closer to him.  
  
The boy pulled a colorful scarf from it. Next, the magician asked for another one who pulled a rabbit. Ophelia was a bit offended, knowing those were easy tricks. She grabbed a jelly bean and watched from the side.  
  
“Now, let’s make someone disappear! Here, this magical cloak will send you to another world, full of chocolate and magic.” He said, grinning wildly at the children. “What about you?” He asked Ophelia. “Come, come! Don’t need to be shy!”  
  
She couldn’t believe she had to go in front of everyone. Ophelia glanced at her mother but Gloria only urged her to go and have fun. Well, she wasn’t the one covered, it seemed. The birthday girl came up as well and asked to be sent to this wonderful place for children.  
  
“Then, let’s change this a bit!” His smile cracked a bit but he agreed anyway, “You, what’s your name?” He asked Ophelia.  
  
“Ophelia.” She answered with no enthusiasm at all.  
  
“Take this cloak, Ophelia, and cover your friend with it. Say the magic words Abracadabra and we'll see what happens.” He said, sweating already.  
  
Ophelia covered the girl and said the magic words but something was different. She felt her hands tingle and quickly pulled the cloak off. The girl was gone.  
  
“Bravo! Now, let’s get our birthday girl back!” He said.  
  
They couldn’t. No matter how much they tried and how much they checked, the girl was gone. While parents got up and ran to their children, accusing the magician, Ophelia felt guilty. That tingling in her hands made the girl disappear. It was her fault.  
   
“Mom, I swear. I did it! I made her disappear and now, I don’t know how to get her back!” Ophelia continued like that for the whole way home but Gloria didn’t even consider it.  
  
“You’re a child. You did nothing wrong but went along with that so called magician. He probably kidnapped the poor girl. Did they announce the police, Richard?”  
  
Richard Molley was a detective so he knew first if there was something wrong in Birmingham.  
  
“I called Martin and he’s got that magician at the station already. If he doesn’t recognize tonight, I’ll make him say everything tomorrow morning.” Richard said in an authoritarian tone.  
  
Ophelia tried to say something but Gloria’s glare made her run into her room and hide under the covers. While standing there, in silence, she opened her palms and moved them side to side. Nothing happened. She closed them in tight fists and opened them again, this time something amazing forming in her palms. Her eyes widened and decided to keep that a secret.  
  


* * *

  
Next day, Richard went to work without having breakfast. Gloria had a meeting and Ophelia was supposed to stay over at a friend, Elena. For the whole morning, Ophelia kept her hands on her lap or behind her back, afraid that her mother would find her secret. Nothing happened, even at Elena’s place.  
  
The two girls were in the park behind Elena’s house when she noticed a man standing a few feet from them.  
  
“We shouldn't speak to strangers.” Elena whispered.  
  
“Something about him seems familiar, though.” Ophelia said tilting her head to the side.  
  
She got up and got lured to the mysterious man.  
  
 “Do I know you?” Asked a ten years old Ophelia.  
  
He beckoned her closer and smiled suavely.  
  
“You don’t remember me, do you Ophelia?” He asked softly.  
  
The girl shook her head, confused. “Should I?”  
  
Those empty eyes of Tom Marvolo Riddle softened only a tiny bit at the sight of his daughter. Ophelia was definitely different from what he imagined her to be: she was witty, stubborn and held a desire to control everyone and everything around her. She was much more like him than she was like Lillian and it pleased him. He could see it in her eyes, the desire to affirm herself.  
  
Tom's smile shifted into a smirk and he said something that earned Ophelia’s curiosity.  
  
“You can do great things, can’t you? Things that your friends or parents can’t do.” He whispered, her green eyes widening.  
  
"I don't know what you mean, mister."  
  
But Tom grasped his wand and made flowers appear around her. She squeaked in delight and looked up at him with those green eyes of hers.  
  
"I can teach you how to do it too but you have to keep it a secret. When time comes, your guardians will understand."  
  
A year later, Ophelia finally understood what that man meant. On the morning of her eleventh’s birthday, Ophelia Molley got her Hogwarts letter.


	4. Diagon Alley

“Dear, are you sure you don’t want us coming with you?” Gloria Molley asked her eager eleven years old daughter.  
  
Ophelia nodded, smiling so widely that she felt her face stretch.  
  
Truthfully, Ophelia Molley has never felt so excited about something in her life before. Her memories concerning her real mother have grown vague and insignificant. She could still remember Lillian’s name and face but she could hardly remember how she sounded like when speaking or the things she did for her daughter. Ophelia spent three years in the orphanage before Gloria and Richard Molley adopted her and even though she didn’t want to leave and start a new life, Dumbledore’s words encouraged her to move forward. Life with her new family was greater than she ever imagined and when she became aware of her unique set of skills, her life became significant.  
  
On the morning she received the letter from Hogwarts, Ophelia was eating her breakfast, not excited but not cranky either; just normal.  
  
“What’s this?” Gloria asked, finding a letter specifically sent to Ophelia. “Have you made a pen pal, Pheli?”  
  
The girl looked at her mother confused before jumping on her feet and taking the letter. She read the first few paragraphs before she remembered the man in the park. She could never forget that pale face that felt so familiar, those cold eyes that made her feel cornered even if she could run away whenever she wanted to and the way he grew flowers in the air with what looked like a weirdly shaped stick.  
   
 **HOGWARTS SCHOOL of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY**  
  
 **Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore**  
(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chf. Warlock,  
Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. of Wizards)  
   
Dear Mrs Molley,  
We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment.  
  
Term begins on 1 September. We await your owl by no later than 31 July.  
   
Yours sincerely,  
   
 **Minerva McGonagall**  
 **Deputy Headmistress**  
   
“Owl?! Do they even use owls these days?” Gloria exclaimed, reading the letter over Ophelia’s shoulder.  
  
Curiosity has always been a trait of the Molley family and unknown to them they passed it on to Ophelia.  
  
The birthday girl gave her mother the first page and continued to the second.  
   
 **HOGWARTS SCHOOL of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY**  
   
   
 **UNIFORM**  
First-year students will require:  
1\. Three sets of plain work robes (black)  
2\. One plain pointed hat (black) for day wear  
3\. One pair of protective gloves (dragon hide or similar)  
4\. One winter cloak (black, with silver fastenings)  
   
Please note that all pupils’ clothes should carry name tags.  
   
 **COURSE BOOKS**  
All students should have a copy of each of the following:  
  
The Standard Book of Spells (Grade 1)  
by Miranda Goshawk  
A History of Magic  
by Bathilda Bagshot  
Magical Theory  
by Adalbert Waffling  
A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration  
by Emeric Switch  
One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi  
by Phyllida Spore  
Magical Drafts and Potions  
by Arsenius Jigger  
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them  
by Newt Scamander  
The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection  
by Quentin Trimble  
   
 **OTHER EQUIPMENT**  
1 wand  
1 cauldron (pewter, standard size 2)  
1 set glass or crystal phials  
1 telescope  
1 set brass scales  
   
Students may also bring, if they desire, an owl OR a cat OR a toad.  
   
 **PARENTS ARE REMINDED THAT FIRST YEARS**  
 **ARE NOT ALLOWED THEIR OWN BROOMSTICK**  
   
Yours sincerely,  
   
 **Lucinda Thomsonicle-Pocus**  
 **Chief Attendant of Witchcraft Provisions**  
   
Gloria snatched the page from Ophelia and read it twice, each time her eyes peeking over the parchment to see how Ophelia was reacting. She wasn’t. That letter meant much more than anyone could imagine and the one thing she noticed right away was the name of the headmaster: Albus Dumbledore. That was the man that reached out to her and helped her when her mother died and he was the one sending her the best present as of yet.  
  
“Where do these people live? Such peculiar stuff can’t be found on the streets of Britain. Maybe a hundred years ago but not anymore.” Gloria added, her ramble going on and on if someone wouldn’t interfere.  
  
At the right moment, Richard Molley walked downstairs and smiled at his daughter. He had something hidden behind but his surprise was cut off.  
  
“Richard dear, Ophelia got a letter from a place called Hogwarts. It says here that it is a school for young witches and wizards. Have you signed her up for something and didn’t tell me beforehand? _Again?_ ”  
  
Richard looked very offended by his wife’s incrimination but curiosity led him to find out what was happening. He walked passed his daughter and placed her present on the table before reading the letter. Much like Gloria, his eyes widened and he had to read it a few more times to fully comprehend it was real.  
  
“Well, it is strange.”  
  
“I know the headmaster.” Ophelia interrupted before the two adults would say something bad. “Albus Dumbledore, he visited me in the orphanage before. I’m sure he wouldn’t send a joke to me on my birthday.” She added, lying before worrying the Molleys further.  
  


* * *

  
 It took Gloria a whole week to calm down and understand that her daughter truly wanted something in her life and nothing could change her mind. Richard used his connections to the Scotland Yard in order to find more information about Hogwarts but no one knew anything.  
  
Unfortunately, that led to a very ugly fight between Gloria and Richard, dispute that forced Ophelia to sneak out and wander the neighborhood on her own, at dawn.  
  
The sunlight was dimming and the twilight was incredibly beautiful. Ophelia ended up in a newly renovated bus stop. It was a bit chilly but very comfortable outside making her feel content that she found a place where she could be by herself.  
  
Now, after looking from side to side, making sure no one was walking by, Ophelia raised her hands in front of her and swayed them graciously. Sparkles of blue light were following her hands, moving cutely into different shapes when moving her fingers. She smiled, drawn into the magic she was doing. Yes, now she knew it was magic.  
  
“You got the hang of it very fast, haven’t you?”  
  
Ophelia’s eyes widened and the shapes vanished. She looked around, scared that someone actually saw her and would probably call her out on it.  
  
But no. It was the man with eyes that could stir something in her, something that has been sleeping for a very long time.  
  
“I know you. We met last year in the park. You were right, I can do things that my parents can’t. It’s amazing!” She said, a wide smile appearing on her face.  
  
For a second, the pale man felt the desire to see Ophelia dead. The reason was her smile, which looked the same as Lillian’s but then he saw the glint in her eyes and knew it was up to him to lead Ophelia towards the right path.  
  
“I got a letter from a school called Hogwarts. My parents are fighting right now; my mum wants me to go because she thinks it would make me happy.” She started, the pale man sitting next to her.  
  
“You should go. Hogwarts is a good start for you. They will teach you everything you need to know and I can even help you, if you want it of course.” Those gentle words didn’t sound as gentle, especially when his eyes met hers.  
  
“But what about the necessities and reply? I don’t have an owl and-“ She stopped when the handsome stranger opened his hand towards her.  
  
“I can help you with that too. You only have to accept it.”  
  
“I don’t even know who you are or at least your name.” She said naïve enough to believe he would be explicit.  
  
Those icy eyes of his twinkled bemusedly before he responded.  
  
“You and I, we’re the same, Ophelia. We belong to a world far above what usual people can see. We have magic; old, strong magic and we can do wonders with it. You just have to trust me.”  
  
Those words were only the beginning of what Tom Riddle was about to create. Oh, he was going to craft Ophelia into his heir and he was sure he would not meet any defense because Ophelia’s desire and curiosity for unknown were going to lead her right into his nest.

* * *

  
Ophelia Molley has always been a girl who thought that nothing in the world could make her squeal in delight, not after her childhood has been engulfed in uncertainties. Once she grabbed Tom’s hand, she felt like her world slimmed and felt her stomach turn upside down. Her surroundings passed by incredibly fast and when they finally stopped, Tom pushed her forward and let her see the world she was part of.  
  
There were shops selling robes, shops selling telescopes and strange silver instruments Ophelia had never seen before, windows stacked with barrels of bat spleens and eels' eyes, tottering piles of spell books, quills, and rolls of parchment, potion bottles, globes of the moon and other stuff that she could not even name.  
  
“Diagon Alley. Every student buys his necessities from here.” Tom explained, pulling his cloak over his head.  
  
“But what about money? I don’t have any right now and-“She stopped when she saw Tom putting his finger on his lips as a gesture to shut up.  
  
Tom smirked under his cloak, assured that Lillian definitely left her daughter enough for a comfortable life. Therefore, he led her towards a magnificent building down the northern part of Diagon Alley. Ophelia’s eyes widened when they got in front of it and gasped when she saw someone very small, about a few inches smaller than her, standing at the door.  
  
“What now?” She asked, looking at Tom for answers.  
  
But the man vanished. Ophelia licked her lips and fidgeted nervously, afraid that something will happen and she won’t be able to get out, like back in Aviemore.  
  
“Is there something wrong?”  
  
Ophelia’s eyes widened even more and she spun around in order to face whoever was behind her.  
  
Unlike what she imagined, it was a boy older than her with grey eyes and long blond hair. He was looking down at her with some kind of authority which was strange because he didn’t look that important. No one around them seemed to pay attention to him.  
  
“You’re blocking the entrance.” He spoke again, his tone low and impolite.  
  
“What is that?” She asked, seeing how he was the only person she could ask.  
  
The blond raised an eyebrow, a bit appalled by this little girl in front of him. His eyes narrowed at her, scanning her face thoroughly. Those elongated pale green eyes made her look like a fox but at the moment, she looked scared.  
  
“Are you a mud blood?” He asked, leaning in. “You know, muggle born. You woke up one day and you could make things that others around you couldn’t.”  
  
Ophelia blinked, her eyes’ glint shifting from fear to confusion and curiosity. She nodded slowly, unsure if she should take that as a good sign or not.  
  
“What are muggles?” She asked, making the blond react with even more stupor.  
  
“Where have you been living?!” He exclaimed, “Muggles are people with no magic. Mud bloods are witches and wizards born from muggle parents. There’s also half bloods which are wizards born from a muggle and a witch/wizard. And then, there are people like me, pure bloods, born from both magical parents.  Now, which one are you?”  
  
“I don’t know. I came here with-“ Ophelia stopped, realizing the stranger never told her his name. She groaned, frustrated that she let such an important detail bypass her. “He said he’s like me. That our magic is old and strong.”  
  
The blond leaned back and seized the little girl up. She was probably eleven years old and she came to buy her stuff for Hogwarts. Her hands were empty and she was dressed in light clothing, didn’t have a wand and looked thoroughly like a lost puppy.  
  
“That’s Gringotts Wizarding Bank. You can exchange currencies  from muggle money to wizarding money.” He explained, his tone still apathetic and still looking down at her from the corner of his eye, like she was a pest.  
  
“But I don’t have any right now.” She continued, having no idea what to do.  
  
The blond sighed and nudged her aside, “Then don’t block the entrance, stupid mud blood.” He grumbled, walking up the stairs and entering the bank.  
  
Left all alone, Ophelia moved aside and looked at everyone passing by, with no idea where to go or what to do.  
  
It was a few hours later when she found herself in front of a shop called Eeylops Owl Emporium. She peeked inside and smiled when a brown sharp looking owl turned and stared right into her eyes. Those black eyes of his seemed to be speaking to her so she entered and went straight to him.  
  
“Interesting owl, isn’t he?”  
  
Ophelia felt her heart beat out of her chest when she felt a cold hand touching her shoulder. She looked up at him and frowned.  
  
“You left me alone in front of the bank.”  
  
Tom couldn’t help but chuckle lightly. She was frustrated and was finding him strange and a bit suspicious but she still followed him out of the store.   
  
“That owl looked lonely. “ Opelia started, “He looked at me with so much intensity and sadness. It made me feel bad for him.”  
  
“You do need an owl. Sometimes, they choose you to be their master. Owls can be very loyal if they get attached to their master.” Tom explained, his mind going back to Lillian’s white owl that vanished from the face of the earth.  “Some choose to die when their master dies.” He continued.  
  
“Well, that one looked like he would just fly away if his master dies. He looked independent but lonely.” She said, her eyes following a pair of children her age that were running with sticks in their hands. “What are those sticks for?” She asked, stopping when Tom did.  
  
“Here.” He gave her a few gold coins before pointing at the store across the street. “These are enough for a wand. Afterwards, I will take you home. It’s getting late.”  
  
“But what about the other stuff and-“ She stopped when she realized he already vanished from her side. 


	5. Petrificus Totalus

Entering the shop called Ollivander’s was interesting. She wasn’t the only customer, there was another boy that looked afraid for his life. Instead of walking to him, she adventured deep in the store, confused why she was there for. She also realized she didn’t ask the stranger for his name, once again, and rubbed her forehead in frustration.  
  
By the time she returned to the front desk, the other boy was gone. She was alone in the store and the man behind the front desk was watching her eagerly.  
  
“Here for the first wand, I pressume?” He asked softly as to not scare her away.  
  
Ophelia nodded and took a few steps towards him. She placed one gold coin on the table, amusing the man.  
  
“Right. Let’s see…”  
  
Mr. Ollivander, as Ophelia found out was his name, gave her a big number of wands but none seemed to fit her.  A lot of them were too squishy in her hand and some of them were getting stiff once she touched them.  An hour and a half passed until Ollivander took a closer look at Ophelia’s eyes. He could remember every wand he sold but there were some specific children that he gave their wands to: Lillian Gaunt, for example.  With that name in mind, Ollivander gave Ophelia an Alder wood, Phoenix feather core, 13 inches in length and very flexible.  
  
Once Ophelia held it, she felt a special kind of butterflies in her stomach. Her eyes brightened as her fingers tingled and blue sparkles emanated from her wand.  
  
Ollivander smiled with melancholy, his eyes falling over the brunette witch.  
  
“Phoenix feather cores come in pairs. I sold the other one a very long time ago to a little girl who was living with her cousin. That little girl had the brightest green eyes I have ever seen and the brightest red hair. Lillian was her name and I can only guess you are her daughter.” Ollivander explained, his eyes focused on the brunette witch.  
  
She calmed down, the wand coming back to looking like a strange shaped stick.  
  
“My mother died five years ago.”  
  
Ollivander’s expression fell into a look of sorrow, remembering just what else was there about Lillian. Ophelia didn’t look like she was aware of her family heritage or about the wizarding world in general.  
  
“What was she? Was she a mud blood?” Ophelia asked innocently.  
  
Ollivander’s eyes widened, surprised that she used that word.  
  
“No, no. Lillian was a pure blood but never once have I seen someone so humble.”  
  
Ophelia smiled softly. It wasn’t every day that someone would speak about Lillian, not that many have met her. It actually made Ophelia wonder why she ended up in the orphanage when it was obvious her mother knew people from the wizarding community.  
  
That thought and the nice words Mr. Ollivander said about Lillian seemed to keep Ophelia so busy that she completely forgot where she was going. She blinked when she found herself in front of the same brown owl. This time, she entered and used the remaining coins in order to buy him.  
  
“Take it, take it! He’s been a curse from the moment his owner returned him!”  
  
With the eagerness in the owner’s eyes, Ophelia paid for the rest of the stuff and walked out. Surprisingly, the owl seemed very calm and content.  
  
“What name should I give you?”  She asked the beautiful brown owl. “Buffy? Blinky? Bert?” She asked more names but the owl was making a weird face at each of them. Ophelia laughed and stopped near a wall, waiting for her savior. “What about Willard?”  
  
The brown owl blinked before tilting his head to the side. Ophelia smiled and rubbed his feathers through the cage. He didn’t move once and didn’t bite her, even though the shop owner was adamant that he was a violent owl.  
  
“Willard Willy. My new friend.” Ophelia said, laughing when the owl kicked her hand away from the cage.  
  
“Talking to a bird now, aren’t we?”  
  
Ophelia looked up, surprised to see the same blond from before. He was holding onto a few books that looked heavier than him yet he was holding them easily. This time, next to him was a small creature with big green eyes that was carrying a pile of stuff bigger than him. Quite rudely, the blond dropped the heavy books into a medium sized cauldron, making the small creature almost fall on his bottom.  
  
“Shouldn’t you be helping the little creature?” Ophelia asked naively.  
  
The blond scoffed, “Do you need help, Dobby?”  
  
“No sir! Young Master Malfoy should never carry anything. That is Dobby’s job, sir!” A squeaky voice was heard from behind the stack of books.  
  
“See?” The blond asked, turning towards Ophelia with an expectant look. “That is what house elves do but of course, you mud blood don’t know that either.” He sneered.  
  
“That sounds like slavery to me. I read back in the orphanage about-“ Her eyes widened when she realized what she said. “I mean-“  
  
It was already too late. The blond already found out something new about her and it looked like he was the type of person to keep it for later, when he needed it.  
  
“Anyway, my mother was a witch so I’m not a mud blood. I just found out that she was a pure blood, too.” Ophelia added quickly, getting on her feet and bloating with pride. “Who are you anyway? Always looking down on me when you have just met me.”    
  
“Maybe you should ask this mother of yours about the Malfoys. I’m sure she will tell you exactly what you need to know. Let’s go Dobby!” He said, throwing her a nasty look before walking away.  
  
Ophelia watched the house elf barely walk with all the heavy stuff he was carrying yet he didn’t say a word, just followed his master.  
  
When Tom found Ophelia, she was sulking with her back against the cold wall. He noticed the wand in her hand and the owl in the cage, watching him approach. Tom smirked when the brown owl backed away at the sight of his eyes.  
  
Ophelia got back home a few minutes later, right in front of her house actually. She wanted to thank Tom but he vanished before she could say anything. Gloria Molley was more than shocked when her daughter entered the house after hours of being gone with an owl and a wand.  
  
The next morning, she sent Willy on his first errand with her reply to Hogwarts. When she walked downstairs for breakfast, she found the rest of the stuff she needed for Hogwarts, even robes.

* * *

That was how, on September 1st, Ophelia Molley arrived with her parents in King’s Cross station in London, searching for Platform 9 ¾.  
  
“Maybe we should ask the gentleman from the information stand.” Gloria mumbled to her husband, pointing at the officer.  
  
Ophelia sighed, disappointed that the mysterious stranger didn’t come to see her off. Willy squirmed in his cage and stared intensely at his owner. He made a few small noises before he started to jump. Once he grabbed Ophelia’s attention, he pointed with his beak at a certain wall. She glanced at the owl before placing the cage down and moving a bit so she could have a bigger picture of Platform 9 and Platform 10. Her eyes fell over the space between them and tilted her head to the side. Ophelia hummed before she grabbed her trunk and cage and walked in front of the wall between the platforms.  
  
“Mum! Dad! I think you should keep close to me!” She yelled, grabbing their attention.  
  
Gloria and Richard glanced at each other in worry but followed her advice anyway. Ophelia closed her eyes and ran right through the wall, feeling a slight breeze before arriving on Platform 9 ¾.  
  
“Wow~”  
  
It was amazing. There were more children, of different ages, than Ophelia imagined. Parents were hugging their children while some looked uncomfortable and only patted their backs. It was a whole new world, one that amazed the Molleys more than it amazed their daughter.  
  
Richard helped Ophelia get her trunk on the train and slipped something in her hand. Ophelia raised an eyebrow when she saw a penknife.  
  
“Just to be safe. You never know what some of these people can do.” He whispered before kissing her cheek and letting Gloria say her farewells.  
  
“My dear daughter. Please, write to us as much as you want. I’ll keep the windows open for your owl.”  
  
That was very weird, especially when a lawyer said it with such a straight face.  
  
“Ok. I’ll be fine. I’ll write as soon as possible, I promise.”  
  
Gloria nodded and hugged her daughter one more time before they heard the train’s honk. Ophelia got on the train, holding Willy’s cage in one hand while the other grasped the handle of her trunk. She smiled and waved at her parents before the train started to move. Ophelia took a last long look at her parents before walking inside.

* * *

  
Searching for an empty compartment was proving to be difficult. She was a newcomer, a first year and friends were difficult to find and make. Ophelia wasn’t exactly a social butterfly and her friends have always depended on circumstances. Now, she was on foreign land and she had to step carefully or she’d get hurt.  
  
She found one compartment in the very back that looked empty. When she entered, she noticed two other children. They stopped speaking when they saw her which made her feel unwanted.  
  
“Maybe I should look for another compartment…” Ophelia mumbled, her eyes moving from the redhead girl to the greasy haired boy.  
  
“No! No! Please, take a seat! I’m Lily and this is Severus. We’re also first years!” The redhead exclaimed, smiling brightly.  
  
Looking at Severus, Ophelia knew she interfered with their personal space. She grasped Willy’s cage but Lily’s bright eyes made her feel bad. In the end, Ophelia placed her luggage aside and sat on one side while Lily and Severus sat on the other side. When Lily chose to change seats and come next to Ophelia, she swore she saw the greasy haired boy narrow his eyes at her.  
  
“I’m Ophelia. I’m new to this whole wizarding world. I never knew I was a witch even if stuff happened to me.”  
  
Severus scoffed, “Are your parents muggles, then?”  
  
Lily threw a look at him which made him remember her parents were actually muggles, making him look down at his hands.  
  
“No. My birth mother was a witch but I don’t know anything about my father. I don’t think I ever met him.”  
  
“That means you’re a half blood, like Sev. My parents are muggles. They were very surprised when I received my Hogwarts letter.” Lily chuckled, remembering that moment.  
  
“Why is blood rank so important to wizards?” Ophelia asked, genuinely confused.  
  
“Haven’t you read anything at all? Blood status is a concept in the wizarding world that distinguishes between family trees that have different levels of magically-endowed members. It often results in prejudice towards those who have a large number of Muggles in their families. It is very important.” Severus answered, scowling at Ophelia’s ignorance.  
  
"Well, I did read about Hogwarts a bit. I know there are four houses and my parents seemed to enjoy the thought that I could be in Ravenclaw."  
  
"That doesn't depend on you, it depends on the Sorting Ceremony. You'll get sorted based on your skills and values." Severus added, scowling continuously at the new acquaintance.  
  
Ophelia didn’t seem to mind this peculiar boy with greasy black hair and eyes that knew nothing but to look down upon anyone that wasn’t a friend. Severus wasn’t like the boys in Bread of Life Orphanage, witty and always looking for trouble but he wasn’t like the boys in her neighborhood either, always classy and neat with answers by the book.  
  
On the other hand, Lily looked a lot like Lillian, though it was probably only because she was a ginger with green eyes. The difference was probably the glint and the atmosphere, in which Lily was just a child while Lillian was a grown up adult with a lot of pressure.  
  
"What house do you suppose you'll get sorted in?" Lily asked Ophelia, eyes twinkling.  
  
"I don't know. I don’t care that much as long as I can learn magic.” She responded bluntly.  
  
Severus raised an eyebrow and leaned on his knees, his dark eyes staring at Ophelia’s elongated green orbs.  
  
“Slytherin is the best house. A Slytherin is always fearless and smart. I, personally, prefer it before any other house.” Severus said, bloating when he mentioned himself.  
  
“Gryffindor would be a good choice too, don't you think?" Lily asked.  
  
Ophelia noticed the sneer on Snape's face at the mention of Gryffindor but didn't say anything.  
  


* * *

  
For the rest of the ride to Hogwarts, Severus continued speaking about Hogwarts and everything he has found out about magic. Ophelia was intrigued by the number of spells he knew already and the way he would look when performing them. Watching him was just like watching the pale stranger.  
  
“So, tell me again, how do we make things fly?” She asked, sitting so close to Severus that the boy felt like she was ready to enter his mind.  
  
“It’s levitation not flying. You do it like this.” He said, waving his wand in a certain way before Willy’s cage started to fly.  
  
The owl didn’t even stir. Severus levitated the cage down on the seat and Lily walked towards it, watching the owl with curiosity.  
  
“I wouldn’t get too close to him. He might bite.” Ophelia advised the ginger, knowing that was exactly what happened when Richard tried to pat him.  
  
Lily did listen to Ophelia and didn’t touch the cage but even so, she couldn’t help feel like that owl was trying to see into her soul.  
  
“Do you want me to show you something that can really help you?” Severus asked, seeing how Ophelia’s just started the levitation charm and did it very well from the first try.  
  
Ophelia nodded, eyes sparkling with excitement. Severus smirked and turned to Willy. The owl tilted his head to the side, looking at the boy as if he was taunting him to dare and curse him.  
  
“Petrificus Totalus.” He whispered, pointing his wand at the owl.  
  
Ophelia’s eyes widened while Lily hit Severus indignantly.  She could hear the two friends bickering behind as the brunette walked to her owl and checked if he was alive. He was, but he looked like a statue, unable to even blink.  
  
“Look what you have done, Sev. What if he won’t return to normal?” Lily asked her friend, troubled.  
  
“I can just use a counter-curse and it will be fine. I know what I’m doing Lily.” He whispered back.  
  
The two glanced at Ophelia and saw her stare with a poker face at her pet.  
  
On the other hand, Ophelia’s mind was swirling with thoughts about curses. The pale boy knew so much already and he seemed so sure of what he knew and what he was doing that it amazed her. She reached inside the cage in order to touch Willy when something blue came out of her finger and went straight into her owl. The pet blinked a few times before he glared at Severus but the greasy haired boy was staring warily at Ophelia.  
  
“How did you do that?” He asked, getting up and hovering over her. “You didn’t even touch him and definitely didn’t use a wand so how did you lift the curse?”  
  
Ophelia raised an eyebrow and glanced at him before her eyes fell on Lily. She looked just as surprised as Severus but didn’t seem as angry about it as him.  
  
“Can’t you do it too? You know, using magic without a wand.”  
  
Severus looked at her closely before sitting down, puffing his cheeks in annoyance.  
  
“It’s possible but only if you reach a certain level. We’re still young so I doubt any of us can control magic without a wand.” He explained.  
  
With that established, Ophelia kept her hands on her lap at all times and placed Willy’s cage next to her trunk, just to be safe. Severus didn’t say anything anymore and Lily took it as a sign to speak about normal, muggle stuff. Ophelia fell into that immediately and listened to the ginger while one greasy haired boy was glowering at her for having Lily’s entire attention.  
  
“So your sister isn’t a witch?” Ophelia asked when Lily dived into her family situation.  
  
“She’s not. Severus was the first person I met that was like me.” She admitted, smiling at the greasy haired boy.  
  
Ophelia raised an eyebrow and leaned back, crossing her arms in front of her chest. Watching the two interact was like watching a ragged dog watching a butterfly fly around his head; it was both interesting and pitying.


	6. Wrong House

The sudden  _“Candy from the trolley, dears?”_  shifted Ophelia’s attention and she looked at the trolley confused. She turned to Severus and Lily who in turn seemed to stare at the trolley. Both of them shook their heads but Ophelia remained gazing after the trolley as it moved forward.  One boy ran past their compartment while another was walking behind, peeking into their compartment on the way. His eye fell on Lily and smiled boyishly, making Severus glare.  
  
The rest of the time was spent discussing about spells and curses. Lily also interfered with topics about her life and how she and Severus became friends but every time she’d say something that seemed too personal for the boy, he’d start talking about magic.  
  
They were probably half an hour from their destination and more and more students were moving through the hall, speaking to each other loudly. Being closer to the door, Ophelia slid it open and stopped one boy that seemed to be calmer than others.  
  
“Excuse me but what’s happening?” She asked, her elongated eyes widening a bit.  
  
“It’s time for us to change into robes. We’ll get to Hogwarts soon so it’s best to change now.” The boy answered before smiling shyly, “Are you a first year as well? I’m Remus Lupin.” He introduced himself, his eyes shifting slowly on Lily and Severus before returning to Ophelia.  
  
“I’m Ophelia Molley. These are my new acquaintances, Lily and Severus.” She said, moving aside so Remus could see the two.  
  
Lily walked next to Ophelia and smiled at the boy but Severus didn’t look like he was going to make an effort. He was happy with knowing only one person and now some strange girl barged in and called him an acquaintance.  
  
“It’s very nice to meet you. I uh-“ He looked to his left and frowned, seeing something or another. “I have to go now. See you at Hogwarts!” He said, more to the girls than to the sneering boy.  
  
Ophelia watched Remus run along to one boy that seemed to be waiting relentlessly at the door of another compartment. Remus told him something and he looked over, making Ophelia pull her head back inside and close the door.  
  
In the end the girls went to the bathroom to change, moment that seemed to please Lily, because they also met more girls their age. Ophelia just went along with everything Lily said and when she finished, she hurried back to the cabin.

* * *

Never in her eleven years of existence have Ophelia imagined she will enter a place that would feel more at home than anywhere else. The orphanage was an intermediary home and she couldn’t say she ever felt like home when she was living with Lillian. Now, Molley’s house was big and comfortable but I had something lacking, something that she couldn’t name.  
  
Walking down with the other first students was scary. She knew she had Lily and Severus right behind and she swore she saw Remus a few feet behind. She also saw the blond, now having green robes while moving through the crowd to a different place. Yes, Ophelia knew some faces but it was still scary and lonely.  
  
A large man called from the front of the station, having twice the height of a normal adult yet looking still rather young. His messy attire seemed to go very well with his bushy eyebrows and medium beard, which also looked like it could hide anything inside.  
  
“Oi, new years! Come after me!”  He screamed, all the children making a big crowd in front of him.  
  
He looked down and smiled before he made a sign for them to follow. They walked only a few feet until they reached a lake.  
  
“Come on, come on! We don’t have all day! Everyone, hop in!”  
  
Ophelia looked at him before she looked at the boats. The giant man was already stepping in one before the others started to do the same. Normally, she got in the boat with Lily and Severus and realized they didn’t have to do anything for the boats were moving on their own.  
  
“Welcome to Hogwarts!” The giant man said proudly.  
  
Actually, now that they could see it up close, Hogwarts was magnificent. Ophelia heard Lily gasp while Severus was looking at it with his eyes shining. She was too; Ophelia’s life has seemed like it was painted in black and blue and now all she could see was bright light.  
  
Once they reached the shore, somewhere inside the castle, they stepped out of the boat and walked a few stairs, coming in front of a woman with a tight bun and glasses. Her eyes were firm and her whole posture looked authoritarian but the way she was looking at the first years was the exact opposite- she was happy.  
  
“If everyone’s here, please follow me inside. Be careful not to lag behind!” She said sternly before opening a pair of doors and leading them through.  
  
The castle was amazing and inside was just like someone brought a story to life. Ophelia could hardly process everything that’s been happening for the past days.  
  
The woman opened another pair of giant doors and hurried inside with a crowd of children behind. Ophelia’s eyes wandered over every table and realized they were very different at a first look. Some of them were not interested to know who from all these children will enter their house while others were watching them eagerly.  
  
A pointed, witchcraft hat that looked worn out and dirty was standing on a chair right in front of the staff table. A mouth formed on the brim and it actually started to sing, surprising Ophelia even more. When it was done, everyone applauded and silence engulfed the hall.  
  
“Now, I will call each of you in an alphabetical order! You will have to come here and sit; nothing else. The Sorting Hat will decide which house you will be spending the rest of your school years in.” The woman said firmly before unrolling a parchment.  
  
Ophelia’s name was pretty far down the list and so was Severus’.  
  
“I hope we’ll get sorted in Slytherin together.” Ophelia whispered to the boy.  
  
He rolled his eyes but was visibly content with the way she was thinking. Severus has already said, multiple times in the train, that people who gain interest in the dark arts have usually been sorted in Slytherin.  
  
“Evans, Lily!” Said the woman and Lily walked up.  
  
The hat immediately screamed  _Gryffindor!_ , which took immediate effect on Severus. The ginger walked to the Gryffindor table and sat next to her colleagues. A few more children went up  
  
“Lupin, Remus!” Was heard though the hall.  
  
The boy walked up, looking quite stressed out. Gryffindor! It shouted again.  
  
“Molley, Ophelia!”  
  
It was her turn and her hands were sweating so much that she had to wipe them on her rose. Once the hat was placed on her head, she looked at Severus with worry.  
  
 _“Already made friends, haven’t you? But will your house be the same as theirs? This mind of yours is more complex than you want to, isn’t it? You need to be careful in whom you trust, child. So much loyalty and deep rooted respect, curiosity for everyone combined yet sly like a fox. You’d make an incredible GRYFFINDOR!”_  
  
Ophelia’s eyes widened as she looked at Severus once again. The hat was off and another child was called yet Ophelia seemed too shocked to move. She thought that’s he could get to be in the same house as her new acquaintance but most of all, she thought the best place to learn magic was in Slytherin. She wasn’t in Ravenclaw and definitely not in the house where she could learn curses. She was in Gryffindor and she had no idea what that meant.  
  
With slow moves, she walked to the Gryffindor table, still startled. Lily made room for her and Ophelia sat in between the ginger and a boy with medium black locks.  
  
“Thought you’d be in the sour bunch over there, didn’t you?” He asked with a wide smile, pointing at the Slytherin table. “It’s better you’re not. You don’t want to end up having a stick up your arse.” He added, leaning in.  
  
But Severus Snape was sorted in Slytherin and the blond she met in Diagon Alley welcomed him proudly.  
  
For some reason, all Ophelia could think about was that she’s been sorted into the wrong house.

* * *

While students were getting acquainted or were talking about their summer vacation, Albus Dumbledore was surveying the Great Hall.  
  
When the first years entered, led my Minerva McGonagall, his eyes found the little brunette right away. She looked healthy and taken care of, maybe spoiled here and there but overall, she looked like a mix of a sly fox and a dangerous snake. He was, too, surprised when the Sorting Hat screamed Gryffindor but he didn’t expect little Ophelia to look so sour about it. Dumbledore looked at pale Severus Snape before glancing at Ophelia, noticing the respect she had for him, even if they were the same age and not even schooled yet.  
  
Dumbledore sighed, relieved that at least Ophelia was walking on a safe path for now. If someone or something would ever lead her astray, it could have horrific consequences.


	7. Potions

Even though Ophelia didn’t quite like that she didn’t get sorted into Slytherin, Gryffindor didn’t seem bad either. Lily was making friends fast while she was standing next to a very animated boy.

“Hey, Sirirus, look here!” A boy with messy brown hair and glasses told the boy with black locks.

Unlike what she was expecting, the glasses boy used magic to make a few chicken wings squirm in the mouth of a fellow student. The victim’s eyes widened and spilled the food on the table, right in front of Ophelia. She looked disgusted.

Once the feast finished and Dumbledore gave them a welcoming speech, Ophelia followed the rest of the Gryffindors out and up towards the common room. When she walked out, she passed the Slytherin table, which still had students here and there. One of them was Severus, whose eyes fell over his hands when he noticed her heavy gaze over him.

“Hello again!”

Ophelia’s head spun around, hitting a passing Ravenclaw straight in the face with her hair.

“Remus, right?” She asked, narrowing her eyes in concentration.

The boy smiled and nodded, glad that she remembered his name and probably grateful that someone he met, even briefly, was in the same house.

“Your friend was sorted into Slytherin.” He trailed, glancing back swiftly. “You don’t have to worry. You can still speak to each other. It’s not like you’re forbidden to meet.” Remus added, trying to sound encouraging.

Ophelia looked at him, so closely that he felt like she was ready to jump on him, before she averted her eyes and started to play with her robes.

“I don’t know much about magic. Listening to Severus, it made me wonder just how much there is to learn.” She mumbled, “I wanted to learn everything together.”

“You will. You’re friends, aren’t you? The house doesn’t matter.”

That word,  _friends_ , seemed to trigger something in her mind. It was a vague word that defined the relationship between two people that had a few things in common. Quite platonic, in her point of view, especially when she would only talk when she felt the need to ask something or she wanted something. Yes,  _friends_  was a intriguing word for Ophelia.

* * *

The common room of the Gryffindor house was in the tower, the entrance being concealed by the Fat Lady portrait. Ophelia didn’t ask anything about the Lady and decided she should search for her room and hid there for the rest of the night.

Inside, it was full of squashy armchairs, tables, and a bulletin board where school notices, ads, lost posters, etc. can be posted. It was decorated in several shades of red, which was associated with the house. The common room seemed comfortable, with many windows that looked out onto the grounds of the school, and a large fireplace dominating one wall. The mantle of the fireplace was adorned with a portrait of a lion. The walls were decorated with scarlet tapestries that depict witches and wizards, but also various animals. Altogether, it made Ophelia gasp and foxy green eyes sparkle.

“Pretty amazing, isn’t it?” Remus asked, coming next to her, his brown eyes holding the same sparkle as hers.

The Gryffindor dormitories were also located in the Tower, with two doors leading off from the common room that open to spiral staircases. One of them obviously led to the girls’ dormitory, the other to the boys’.

Ophelia was was still looking around when Lily came and told her to come and chek their dormitory. Well, it was definitely spacious up there and they had four beds, bigger than Ophelia had back with the Molleys. Their luggage was already there, each trunk in front of every bed. Lily chose the one closest to the bathroom while two more girls entered the room, smiling at the redhead and brunette.

“Hello, I’m Cissney Littlewood! Really nice to meet you both!”

Cissney was, just like her name, very small compared to other girls her age and looked very blank. The one thing that grabbed Ophelia’s eye was the midline teeth that would show every time she was smiling or talking. It was very hard to brush it off when Ophelia has never met someone with such teeth.

The other girl was the opposite of Cissney, with bright blue eyes and blonde hair that seemed to become white when the light was falling over the right side of it. She was like a bright point of color through black and red and strangely, she looked a lot like an older version of a girl from Bread of Life Orphanage called Kristella.

“Alice Worley.” She introduced herself, smiling shyly.

Ophelia blinked, watching the girls interact with Lily before Cissney glanced at the brunette. Ophelia didn’t say a word and just placed her trunk on the bed closest to the window. She also placed the cage on the window sill and let it open for Willy to stretch, which he did but didn’t leave the cage nor seemed to have any desire to fly out.

“I have seen this owl before, in the shop on Diagon Alley but the owner told me to find something else. In the end, I bought Freddie.” Cissney said, bloating with pride when showing a very little creature to everyone in the room.

“It’s a rat.” Ophelia said bluntly, furrowing her eyebrows at the white rat. “Is it normal for it to have red eyes?”

Cissney’s smile only widened at that question.

“No, it’s not normal. That’s why I chose him and not a boring garden rat. Freddie is special.” She said before kissing his head and placing him on the bed.

The girls continued their conversation for the rest of the night and through some very hard work, Lily convinced Ophelia to actively take part in it. From time to time, Willy would glance at her and she’d glance at him, wondering if now that she was in Hogwarts, she could actually count on that strange man’s help.  
  
The next morning, Ophelia woke up earlier than the rest and the first thing she did was look for Willy. He wasn’t in his cage which immediately alarmed her. Brushing her covers aside, she first checked if the windows were closed, which they were. Secondly, she opened the door to their dormitory and tip toed her way down the stairs, careful not to wake anyone. The common room was empty and looked lifeless, compared to the night before when kids were taking so much space that it was hard to breathe. Now, the common room was silent and yet still warm for some reason, giving her a good feeling about Gryffindor.

Watching for any sign of an owl aimlessly flying around, she noticed that one window downstairs was open, quite widely too, and realized that was probably the way he got out. For some reason, even though she knew Lily and the new acquaintance, Remus, Ophelia felt lonely.

* * *

Breakfast on the first day was sumptuous but more importantly, very loud. As soon as Ophelia entered the Great Hall, her eyes searched for Severus on the Slytherin table. He was there, eating while reading something. He certainly felt her heavy gaze, because she was fully staring at him while walking, but he didn’t raise his head.

Eating with the girls was far nicer than Ophelia expected. Lily and Cissney seemed to have clicked from the moment they met and the two had more in common than Ophelia had with any of them.

“Having fun yet?”

It was the same black locks, twinkling eyes boy that she sat next to after the Sorting. He might have had good intentions if it wasn’t for the way he looked so happy to be there and so proud of himself, even if classes haven’t started yet.

As soon as she thought about that, the same firm yet elegant woman strutted towards both of them, giving them what she called timetables. They were identical yet the two children were excited for very different subjects.

“Ah, starting off with Potions…” The boy moaned, his eyes searching all over the room for someone.

“Are you looking for that loud friend of yours? He’s not here yet.”

What interested the boy, and what really piqued his interest, was the way she said those words. Cold, apathetic, seemingly lifeless and joyless. Those were the words that seemed to describe the eleven years old girl next to him.

“Really? Because I have my own pair of eyes, even another if I try hard enough.” He stated bemusedly, though it didn’t sound like that to her.

Ophelia’s eyes widened, feeling more uncomfortable than ever before. Living with people that would rarely respond with smart ass remarks and had an elegant way of speaking it made her speechless because she had no idea how to respond to that.

The boy chuckled as he raised an eyebrow, intrigued by the small brunette. He opened his mouth, fully turning to Ophelia before someone grabbed her hand and pulled her along.

“You’ll have enough time to thank me.” Severus mumbled, letting her go once they walked out. “Where is Lily?” He added, getting into a slower pace since Ophelia had shorter legs.

“She finished already?” Ophelia asked, glancing over her shoulder at the students walking in and out the Great Hall.

“She did. Well, it doesn’t matter, we have Potions together.” He started to ramble about what other classes they had together but Ophelia blocked out his voice.

There was the blond boy again, staring at the two with a sneer.

“Sev, is Malfoy a big name in the wizarding world?” She asked, stopping him from going into another ramble.

“Well, yes, of course; one of the eldest pure blood families. They are rich and influential.” Severus explained, his eyes falling over the blond as well. “Slytherins and Gryffindors are known to be in a constant competition so they hate each other most of the time.” He added, feeling small when the blond raised an eyebrow at him. “Anyway, we’ll meet in class.” Severus finished and left quickly, scurrying away like a weasel.

Ophelia watched her friend go back to his dormitory before she realized she was alone, in the entrance Hall, with students buzzing from one side to the other. But most importantly, she was once again  **alone.**

* * *

“Welcome, welcome! First year, such amazement is everything, isn’t it? Especially for those who come from muggle families.”

Professor Slughorn was his name, Potions Master and visibly gaining weight. His eyes were sparkling every time they’d fall over certain students. Ophelia’s eyes drew him automatically, giving him the idea that she might be gifted in Potions and a pure blood. Ophelia wasn’t sure of any if she were to be sincere.

“Potions is not a kind of class that needs any particular skill but relies solely on one’s attention and hard work. That’s why some of you may surprise yourselves and hopefully, even me.” He laughed by himself, not one student following him. “Now, we will begin our first lesson with the Forgetfulness Potion. You will find everything you need in the cupboard and on the board, of course.” He said, waving his wand for the ingredients to appear on the board.

* * *

An hour later and Ophelia was standing in front of her cauldron, having done everything written on the board and book yet the outcome looking strangely like mold.

Professor Slughorn was walking through the tables, peeking into their cauldrons, a smile forming on his face when it was correct and a frown when it was a disaster. When he got to Ophelia, his eyes were sparkling with high expectations yet when the smell of her potion filled his nostrils, his excitement cracked, as did his expression.

“Miss Molley, it seems you have forgotten to add two mistletoe berries.” He said, trying his best not to inhale any more of that smell. “Also, you did not stir correctly. I’m sure this is just a mistake out of a lack of magic in your family. I’m sure you will do better next time.” He added, containing what looked like the ghost of a smile.

“Yes, professor.” She responded politely, looking down in shame.

From the other side of the classroom, Severus’ eyes were focusing on the redhead Gryffindor when he noticed Ophelia’s red face. He rolled his eyes, assured that his first impression of her was correct. Ophelia was a muggle born witch and had more chances into subjects like Herbology and History of Magic than actual magic. One memory in the back of his mind was telling him that he might judge her too fast and too harshly, especially after she lifted a curse without a wand but Lily’s smile took his mind off Ophelia.


	8. Awkwardness

When break came around, Ophelia pushed everything in her bag and left the dungeons as quickly as possible. Alice was right behind her when they reached the classroom for History of Magic. The professor was a ghost, which automatically made Ophelia doubt the clarity of the lessons and Binns’.  
  
“I heard he died in his sleep. How can you wake up and teach even after you died?” Cissney asked, taking the seat behind Ophelia.  
  
Nevertheless, that was one of the most boring lessons Ophelia has ever listened to. For the whole lesson, Binns’ voice was nothing but background noise for her.  
  
The day seemed to pass very quickly and in no time, a whole month passed. A week used to mean nothing back in Birmingham yet in Hogwarts, it was a mountain of homework and it was still a long time until Christmas.  
  
One subject that seemed to make her feel joyful during the lesson was Charms. Professor Flitwick was smiling every time he would see Ophelia enter his classroom but the one professor that Ophelia liked was Professor Luce Spinnard, which it seemed just arrived in time to take over Defense against the Dark Arts.  
  
“I do not care how much homework you have and do not bother telling me excuses. If you do not have your work done by the time I tell you, you may as well become the victim of the next lesson.”  
  
A lot of students remained petrified in their seats, taken aback by the harsh look in those blue eyes and the way it seemed to overpower anyone and anything.  
  
Even though the professor seemed to adore terrifying them, he never actually turned any student into a victim; not yet, at least. One afternoon, right after class was done, he eyed his students closely, making them hurry and almost run out of there. Those eyes stopped on two students that seemed to be gifted in defending themselves even if it seemed they weren’t fully aware of it.  
  
“Lupin and Molley, stay back. I have something for you.” Professor spinning ordered them in his low authoritarian voice.  
  
Remus’ eyes widened as he turned around, ignoring the _“Stay alive, Lupi!”_ screamed by his friend. Ophelia on the other side seemed to be pleased, even if she too seemed a bit wary of the teacher’s intentions.  
  
Tall as he was, he trotted towards them with his hands behind his back, standing straight and firm above his students, watching them from under long eyelashes.  
  
“You seem to be the only students that actually know what a deadline is. I know it is rather quick, especially because you are only first years but I want both of you to write an essay and give it to me at every end of the week. I will give you instructions and permission to enter the forbidden side of the library.” He said before raising an eyebrow and leaning in, “But do not get in trouble.”  
  
“Why would we get in trouble?” Ophelia asked, her eyes staring into those blue orbs of his with intensity.  
  
Remus swallowed nervously and grabbed her hand, expecting some kind of violent reaction from the professor. Nothing happened; if anything, it seemed as if a ghost of a smile appeared on his face but disappeared in a blink.  
  
“Leave.” He said, dismissing the two with a wave of his hand before turning to his desk.  
   
“That was strange. Why would he give us supplementary homework when we already have enough?” Remus wondered on the way to the Great Hall. They still had charms before dinner and Remus was tired.  
  
“He’s a peculiar man altogether. Besides, your favorite place seems to be at the library, in the very back with your loud friends.” Ophelia responded, having a certain way of referring to his friends.  
  
Remus chuckled, surprised yet flattered that she was so attentive when she looked so ignorant for most of the time.  
  
“What about your friend? The Slytherin boy.”  
  
Now that he touched that subject, Ophelia stopped and thought carefully about her relationship with Severus. It’s been almost one month since they arrived at Hogwarts and the only times they speak to each other is during Potions.  
  
“I doubt we are friends.” She mumbled, continuing to walk as if nothing she said was strange.  
  
Remus raised an eyebrow and opened his mouth a bit, preparing to say something that was probably supposed to encourage her or something. Luckily, he didn’t have time because Ophelia hurried inside the classroom and sat as close to the professor as possible. That automatically meant she was standing with Lily, a friend that was constantly trying to loosen up Ophelia’s stiff personality.  
  
“What did Professor Spinnard want?” Cissney asked from Lily’s other side.  
  
Ophelia grasped her wand and copied the hand movements that Professor Flitwick was showing in front of the class. He was small, fact that surprised Ophelia on the first day because she had never seen someone so small before, but he was very quick.  
  
“Extra work for me and Remus.” Ophelia mumbled, Cissney having to lean in to hear her.  
  
“Have you done something?” Lily asked, doing the hand movements and getting it right from the first try unlike other students.  
  
“Longbottom, try again! This time, don’t point it at Miss Riley’s robes!” Professor Flitwick screamed, jumping off his desk and walking towards a very flustered Rebecca Riley.  
  
From two rows behind, standing in a line, were two boys on each side of a very uninterested Remus, laughing at Longbottom and Riley. One of them was familiar and seemed full of excitement.  
  
“Those two, they seem familiar.” Ophelia whispered, pushing the importance of Wingardium Leviosa in the back of her mind.  
  
Cissney glanced over her shoulder before she started to laugh. She seemed to hardly find her voice through all those weird noises she was making while laughing.  
  
“Sirius Black and James Potter are in our house, Pheli. Actually,” Cissney leaned in again, blocking Lily’s wand under her, “Those two are super close already. Usually, Blacks have always been, you know, dark wizards. I think most of them have been sorted to Slytherin.” She added, eyeing the boy with medium black locks.  
  
“So then why is he a Gryffindor?” Ophelia asked, sounding like she was asking out of courtesy instead of genuine curiosity.  
  
Cissney shrugged and grabbed her wand seeing as Flitwick was coming towards them.  
  
“Perfection comes with practice. You can leave gossips for after class, Miss Littlewood.” The short professor commented loudly, making Cissney blush profoundly.

* * *

  
The rest of the day passed incredibly fast. Charms was the last class on Wednesday, after Defense Against the Dark Arts. Unfortunately, next morning, they had a lot of work with McGonagall, whose Transfiguration classes were very clear but at the same time, very uncomfortable.  
  
“I still don’t understand how you find Transfiguration uncomfortable? Did Professor McGonagall say something to you?” Lily asked, concerned that Ophelia might have gotten in trouble.  
  
Ophelia glanced at the staff table during dinner, finding Dumbledore at the table as well. He was speaking to professor Flitwick with a smile on his face, like nothing in the world was wrong. Next to Dumbledore was McGonagall, whose firm yet elegant expression was pretty much the same as every day. She looked up suddenly but her eyes didn’t land on Ophelia but on the boys standing a few seats in the back.  
  
“Black and Potter will get it badly one day.” Cissney mumbled before taking a bite from her piece of apple pie. “You know, they’re so loud in the morning that I don’t even need the alarm to wake me up. The first thing I hear every morning is _hurry up, squib_!”  
  
“Squib?”  
  
“Yes. I believe they are referring to Pettigrew because Remus is usually up by then and the one screaming is usually Potter. I swear, that boy has such a loud voice, even when whispering.” Cissney continued, her eyes getting wider as she was explaining.  
  
“Have you heard him whisper during Potions at Lily? The Slytherin, Ophelia’s friend, he was glaring daggers at him.” Alice added, chuckling at the end.  
  
Cissney nodded furiously before turning towards Lily. The redhead didn’t seem amused at all, if anything she looked like she wanted to brush off anything that had any connection to Potter.  
  
While the girls continued to speak about Potter and his lot, Ophelia felt two pairs of eyes look in her direction. Looking quite hopeful, she glanced at the Slytherin table only to find that Severus was most definitely not looking at her. He was peeking at Lily from under his black locks, trying to seem uninterested but it was obvious he wanted to talk to her. Those elongated green eyes moved down the Slytherin table only to meet the narrowed eyes of Lucius Malfoy. It seemed he noticed she was searching for her friend and was very rudely signing for her to turn around.  
  
Dinner was done faster than she would have liked and she still didn’t find out who were the two people that have been staring at her for the past hour. It was more uncomfortable than Transfiguration and she was sure she won’t be able to sleep at night with so many curiosities.  
  
That was how, next morning, unintentionally Ophelia woke up before everyone else and walked into the common room, hoping that she could practice a bit before breakfast. It just so happened that someone else did the same, someone she has never spoken to nor looked at for the past month.  
  
Messy brown hair, sticking in every possible direction, brown eyes behind a pair of glasses that noticed her right away and a stupid boyish smile that seemed to complete his whole appearance. Yes, that was James Potter, the loudest kid Ophelia has ever heard.  
  
“Oh, didn’t know you are an early bird, Molley.” He started, jumping on the sofa next to her.  
  
Ophelia tensed and started to play with the hem of her shirt unconsciously.  
  
“Good morning.” She mumbled, so faint that Potter took a few minutes to register what she said.  
  
They stood there, both of them aware that the other was not exactly on the same page until Potter finally said.  
  
“I heard you’re Spinnard’s pets. You and Remus…”  
  
He didn’t start with a good subject and they both knew that. Therefore, he tried again.  
  
“Anyway, you know that friend of yours? The ginger.” He started, fidgeting a bit. “She’s very smart.” He added.  
  
Ophelia tilted her head to the side, listening with confusion. Potter was shifting in his seat, looking flustered for some reason.  
  
“She’s smart, yes.” Ophelia answered curly.  
  
“Ye **p**.” Potter continued, emphasizing the p.  
  
He sighed heavily when he realized Ophelia was so stiff that she wasn’t even realizing where he wanted to get with that discussion. Potter might have added something if the door to the girls’ dormitory wouldn’t have opened. Unfortunately, the one walking out the door was Alice not Lily.  
  
“Morning, Potter.”  
  
“Morning, Worley.”  
  
They were so polite with each other that it made the atmosphere in the common room even more awkward. Feeling the tension rising because really, they were only children and had nothing to talk about and weren’t even going to try becoming friends, Ophelia got up and waved before leaving the tower.  
  
“Is there something wrong with her?” James asked Alice as soon as the portrait closed.  
  
“She’s just shy.” Alice responded, grabbing a quill and starting her Transfiguration homework. “But she’s good with Charms so I wouldn’t piss her off, Potter.”  
  
But James Potter didn’t have to do that. Someone else had their eyes on Ophelia already, he just wasn’t aware of it yet, nor was her.

* * *

  
Walking so early in the morning through the castle was relaxing. That until Ophelia felt one cube of ice thrown down her shirt, making her tense and quiver.  
  
“That was unnecessary, Peeves.” She said her tone as cold as the ice.  
  
Hogwarts had many ghosts but it also had one poltergeist, which was actually a mischievous kind of ghost that liked nothing more than to mess about with everyone. That was Peeves and Ophelia met the wrath of the poltergeist only once before when he scared her by jumping in front of her in an armor.  
  
“Always so whiny, aren’t you foxy? Don’t ruin the fun!” He screamed as he flied away.  
  
Ophelia scoffed and continued her journey to the girls’ bathroom on the first floor. It was usually closed and she was happy with that because Hogwarts was full of girls and it was hard to find a place to just stay silently in.  
  
The first thing she did when she stepped in was to look at her reflection in the mirror. Hogwarts was the place that she belonged in and she could feel that, she really could but it was also the same as in the orphanage and in the neighborhood with the Molleys. Ophelia was curious how was when her mother was alive and they would go visit Lillian’s acquaintances; she could vaguely remember some ginger man smiling at her and giving her jelly beans but it was so foggy.  
  
In the end, Ophelia sighed and washed her face, pushing every question in the very back of her mind. She wiped her face and looked down at her hands. Transfiguration was one of her favorite classes because she was actually getting good at it without practicing much, just like Charms, but there was one element that was making her feel stressed every time McGonagall would enter the classroom and that was her wand. Every time she’d try using her wand to untransfigure what looked like a poor attempt at transfiguration, it would actually lose direction.  
  
Moving her fingers lightly, the same blue sparkles appeared, even if not as bright as before. Ophelia smiled softly, remembering the pale stranger and just how much he helped her and wondered just where he was.


	9. With or Without a Wand

Ophelia Molley has always been a child that could feel when someone didn’t want to be disrupted, which was a quality that Alice and Remus liked. On the other hand, it seemed that people could hardly understand why she was so silent, even with her roommates. Cissney was a bubble of energy, talking all day long with either Lily or Alice while for most of the time, Ophelia would be in the back, listening.  
  
Everyone noticed the silent listener, even the Slytherins. One particular Slytherin seemed very preoccupied with the Gryffindor girl.  
  
“She’s not your responsibility, Severus.” The cold voice of Lucius Malfoy disrupted Severus’ thoughts. “You have been looking at that table for long enough. Should I remind you just what house you belong to?” He added, leaning in over the short boy.  
  
“No. And it’s not about her, it’s about something else.” The shorter boy mumbled keeping his eyes focused on the table.  
  
Lucius Malfoy raised an eyebrow before he glanced at the staff table, where Dumbledore was not present at. Smirking under his nose, he placed one hand on Severus’ shoulder and grasped it tightly.  
  
“It seems today might be your lucky day, Severus.”

* * *

  
 During the rest of the day, especially during Herbology with Professor Sprout screaming at children to be careful how they handle the plants, Ophelia transited between being herself and trying to enjoy the lessons a bit more. It wasn’t working well at all with how Longbottom was getting every bad situation ever possible and Cissney commenting it from the side.  Also, having Potter and Black in the very back, laughing between each other and actually getting Longbottom into embarrassing himself even more was not a pleasure to witness or listen to.  
  
“Hey, Evans! _Evans_! You _have_ to see this!” Potter whispered, not as silent as he had the impression he was.  
  
Ophelia glanced at Lily but the redhead was ignoring him completely.  
  
“ _Evaaaaans_!” That was not Potter’s voice but Black’s.  
  
Ophelia looked at Alice, who was rolling her eyes, before she looked at Professor Sprout, who seemed engulfed into showing one of her own students just how to pluck the Bouncing Bulb he was holding in a way that it wouldn’t get him kicked in the face. The Hufflepuff was less than pleased when the professor accidentally hit him in the nose while trying to contain the Bulb.  
  
“I never imagined Herbology to be so violent.” Ophelia mumbled, watching the events unfolding all around her.  
  
“ _Evans!_ ” Potter’s voice was getting louder as he was losing patience.  
  
“Oh, just turn around for a second! It won’t kill you, you know?!”  
  
Instead of Lily, Ophelia turned towards Black with quite an offended face. She scoffed and he mumbled something under his breath, something she was sure she didn’t want to hear. Suddenly, the Bulbs all around Black and Potter caught fire, scaring the living out of Remus and Pettigrew, who were actually working on plucking them.  
  
Professor Sprout’s eyes widened and ushered everyone outside while she grabbed her wand. As they were heading out, Black raised an eyebrow at Ophelia, brushing their shoulders harshly when passing each other.

* * *

  
At dinner, Ophelia waited for everyone to enter the Great Hall before she walked out of her hiding spot.  She was one step through the door when someone pulled her back. Thinking that it was probably Potter or Black, she closed her eyes and raised her hands in front of her face, unintentionally pushing whoever that was a few feet backwards.  
  
“What was _that_?”  
  
Ophelia’s eyes widened.  
  
“Severus?” She asked, sounding both innocent and scared. “Sorry, I’m really sorry. It doesn’t have an off button.” She added, running to his aid.  
  
Severus Snape was a young child but still, he was pretty fragile for a boy. When she grabbed his arm and helped him up, it was probably with more strength than he had at that time.  
  
“Why are you in your robes?” Ophelia asked, noticing the way he quickly brushed her hand away.  
  
“How did you do that?” He asked once again, remembering the time in the train. “And what do you mean it doesn’t have an off button? What is it?”  
  
The brunette licked her lips and started fidgeting nervously, her mind swirling with excuses she could use. None seemed to be good enough, not with the way Severus was watching her with wary.  
  
Ophelia opened her mouth, ready to give out the most plausible lie that she could muster but the door behind her opened slightly, enough for one person to sneak out. Seeing the platinum blond hair, Severus grabbed her hand and pulled her after him, down into the corridor towards the Hufflepuff common room.  
  
With big owlish eyes, the boy checked twice before leaning against the wall.  
  
“Why are we hiding from your prefect?” She asked naively.  
  
“Because he strongly dislikes you.”  
  
“Why?  
  
“Because you’re a Gryffindor and he is a Prefect.  He can take points from your house for nothing at all.” He added, seeing how it seemed Ophelia could never understand the rivalry between Slytherins and Gryffindors. “Anyway, what was that? How could you throw me away with your bare hands?” Severus asked, returning to the actual problem.  
  
Ophelia only shrugged before swaying her right hand in the air, the same blue light following every movement before entering her hand. Severus was watching her hand closely, with so much intensity that it looked like he was ready to cut it off just to take it in his room and watch it create forms later on.  
  
“You might be able to make a Patronus already.” He whispered, confusing the girl. “A Patronus Charm conjures a magical guardian, a projection of all your most positive feelings. Many wizards are unable to produce a full Patronus form.” Severus explained.  
  
“I can’t either. I’m good at Charms but only the ones we learn in class with Flitwick.”  
  
Severus hummed and nodded, seeming deep in thought before his eyes fell over her hands once again.  
  
“With or without a wand?” He finally asked.  
  
Ophelia looked down at her hands, her wand lost somewhere in the sheets on her bed. Severus didn’t need her to answer because he could already see Ophelia for what she could be.  
  
“Maybe we should study together. I’ll help you with potions but you have to do me a favor.”  
  
Ophelia raised an eyebrow and nodded very slowly, “What favor?”  
  
“Enter the Forbidden Forest with me. It seems there is a very rare stone hidden in the trunk of a tree, deep in the forest.” Severus added, choosing his words carefully so not to give her the whole truth.  
  
“Why don’t you go alone?” She asked her tone changing from naïve to cold and judgmental in one second.  
  
Severus couldn’t blame her if he were to be sincere; ever since they met in Hogwarts Express, the greasy haired Slytherin only watched from the side as the brunette little girl squirmed to blend in with her roommates. Unfortunately, Ophelia was the total opposite of Lily, with bravery that was more going towards saving herself rather than save someone else. He had seen it happening in Potions and during their afternoon flying lessons. Instead of helping Pettigrew keep his balance, she used him to get herself a nudge towards the direction she wanted to go to.  
  
“There might be Dementors in the Forest. They’re evil creatures, without a face, wrapped in dark cloaks. They feed on your happy memories. Only a Patronus can protect us.” Severus explained, his eyes widening when sharing his knowledge.  
  
Ophelia frowned, her mind registering every word quickly before realization hit her.  
  
“And how exactly are we supposed to study the Patronus Charm?” Ophelia hissed, leaning towards Severus.  
  
“That can be arranged, mud blood.” A new, scoffing voice answered.  
  
Lucius Malfoy was standing with his arms folded in front of his chest, a sneer on his face, slightly leaning against the wall yet not really because it was visible that he was sustaining his weight on both his feet.  
  
“As long as you retrieve my object, anything can be arranged. In case you have forgotten, I am the Slytherin Prefect.” Malfoy added, his lips curving smugly into a smirk.


	10. Sour Grape

"How much have you heard?" Severus asked, tensed like never before.   
  
He couldn't even look in Malfoy's eyes because he knew it was supposed to be a secret yet he partially told it to Ophelia. Ophelia, out of anyone in Hogwarts.  
  
"Enough to make myself question who I have trusted with this mission." The blond answered with annoyance visible all over his form.   
  
Ophelia was facing him directly while Severus was standing with his back towards the blond. She could see the way Malfoy started to drum his fingers on his arm while containing a very elegant yet dirty superiority expression. He was looking down at the two kids as if he just became Minister and it was very, very uncomfortable.   
  
"Tomorrow night I will pass by the classroom on the fifth floor, facing the gold armor and the portrait of a dog. No one enters it after 11 o'clock on weekends." He stated the sneer only slightly smaller than usual.   
  
Afterwards, Malfoy left, glancing at Ophelia for one last time before deciding that it didn't matter. He was supposed to get the stone from the Forest but he couldn't quite get past the Dementor. Now, if anyone would find out about it, he could easily blame them.

* * *

As soon as Saturday came around, Ophelia could hardly contain her excitement to learn something new. She was visibly happier and the whole Gryffindor tower was staring at her with confusion.  
  
"Mate, what's gotten into sour grape there? Did someone finally tell her that she is not a hundred years old?" Sirius Black asked his best friend, wrapping an arm loosely around his shoulder.   
  
James Potter shrugged while Peter Pettigrew snickered a few feet behind them. The one that seemed genuinely concerned, however, was Remus Lupin. Well, he wasn't really concerned as he was surprised that Ophelia could be so pretty when she smiled but she would rarely do it.   
  
Cissney was just as freaked out as Black, only she was a girl and girls knew a few reasons why Ophelia was so happy.  
  
"Who'd you fancy?" She asked bluntly, embarrassing Ophelia from the first sentence.   
  
"Oh, sour grape fancies someone already? You move fast." Sirius added, leaning so much over Potter that the glasses boy had to crouch.   
  
"Is it Longbottom?" Potter asked, a goofy smile widening on his face.   
  
Sirius didn't wait for an answer and started to laugh, Pettigrew's snickering becoming louder as well. Remus glanced at Frank Longbottom and noticed the faint blush in his cheeks before he turned to Ophelia. She wasn't blushing but didn't look happy either. Her eyes were narrowed and he could imagine her hands gripping her pants under the table.   
  
"No." She barely got out.   
  
Sirius raised an eyebrow and took a link look around the Great Hall. It was breakfast on a Saturday so obviously not the whole castle was down. However, there was one boy that was watching their interaction from two tables away, furrowing his eyebrows together when he realized Sirius was looking straight at him.   
  
"Is it that Slytherin boy? What was his name, um-" He was obviously joking but looked at his friends, his face contorted into a stupid look as he was supposedly trying to remember.   
  
"Serverus? Cerberus? Something?" Potter added in the same manner.   
  
Lily's head snapped towards the boys and glared at the pair, scoffing loudly.  
  
"It's Severus. And if you'd be so kind, he is our friend and I would like if you could stop this nonsense."   
  
The redhead did nothing but taunt the two jokers. Both boys looked at each other, eyes widened and sparkling with bemusement as their mouths formed a big, round O.   
  
Ophelia glanced over her shoulder at Severus, already pitying him for what was to come. She was absolutely sure that Potter and Black were not going to leave it aside and pass the opportunity to mess with the greasy haired boy.   
  
"I do fancy someone." She said, drawing everyone's attention over her. "It's him."   
  
Ophelia pointed at a random person standing there out of coincidence. She didn't even look at who exactly she pointed until she saw their eyes widening and faces turn into frowns. Very slowly, Ophelia turned around and realized she just out-loudly admitted that she fancies none other than Lucius Malfoy.

* * *

That statement haunted her for the rest of the day. She was the eleven years old that just proclaimed she liked a boy that was five years older and incredibly stuck up.   
  
"It's alright. I know you don't really like him." Severus said softly, smiling faintly when seeing her long face.  
  
They were supposed to find the empty classroom and test if they could actually materialize their happy memories into a Patronus. Maybe Severus had a few but Ophelia was empty and it was becoming burdensome.   
  
"It doesn't matter. I'll go home for Christmas and when I'll come back it will be all forgotten."   
  
"Before that. We have to enter the Forest before Christmas." Severus whispered, glancing from side to side in case one painting was eavesdropping.   
  
"Why? Why is it so important? And why does Malfoy want it?" She questioned, making the boy sigh heavily.  
  
"I can't tell you yet. Just trust me, alright?"   
  
Ophelia stopped, forcing him to stop as well and turn back a few steps.   
  
"Trust. What a big word for a child."   
  
Severus rolled his eyes and grabbed her wrist, pulling her after him.  
  
"I know, I have been a twat for the past month. It was just-"   
  
"You were so busy following Lily around. No one else seemed as important until you remembered me."   
  
Severus nodded, admitting silently that she was right. His interest was definitely bigger in the redhead and everything she was doing rather than the silent Ophelia. Besides, Lily was an endless source of happiness and joy for him while Ophelia was just Ophelia.   
  
"I'm sorry, alright. I'll be your friend from now on." He whispered, pulling her up the stairs.   
  
"And you will help me with Potions?" She asked, a smile forming on her lips.  
  
"Yes, yes. I will."   
  
Ophelia chuckled and let herself be dragged along the corridors until they got in front of a very ugly painting of a dog. Severus pushed the door open as silently as possible before they entered the dim lit classroom. Entering last, Ophelia didn't realize that she pushed the door too hard, making it slam loudly.   
  
Severus threw her an annoyed look over his shoulder, making her smile guiltily and mutter a very faint sorry.   
  
"It looks like it hasn't been used in a long time." He said before pulling his wand out of his pocket and whispering _Lumos_.  
  
"Ah."   
  
Severus raised an eyebrow and turned to his companion at that sound.   
  
"I don't have my wand with me." She mumbled, fidgeting nervously when she noticed those dark eyes judging her.   
  
"And how do you expect to practice? You need a wand."   
  
She listened to him complaining for another five minutes before he stopped and sighed. In the end, Ophelia sat on an old desk while Severus tried to conjure every happy memory into a Patronus.   
  
That was easier said than done. While Ophelia was watching very closely how he was moving his hand and the way he was holding his wand, she couldn't help but remember the pale stranger.  
  
"Hey, Sev. For how long have you known you were a wizard before coming here?"   
  
That was a random question thrown at a very random moment. But he responded anyway.  
  
"A while. I met Lily and her horrible muggle sister in the park. We live close to each other and I've seen her doing magic before." He explained, his eyes focusing on what looked like a barely trace of something hanging loosely on the tip of his wand. "What about you? How did you meet Malfoy?" He asked before he stopped and came next to her.  
  
"I got lost and he stumbled upon me in front of Gringotts. He assumed I was a mudblood because I had no money and no knowledge of the wizarding world."   
  
Now that she was saying it out loud, it sounded normal. She noticed afterwards that muggle born students tend to not know anything about Hogwarts or magic in general. Malfoy was probably right to assume that even if it offended her in a way.  
  
"How did you get on Diagon Alley if you didn't know anything about it?" Severus asked, crossing his arms in front of his chest.  
  
Ophelia sighed, swaying her legs back and forth while leaning on her knees.  
  
"I met a man in the park a year ago. He was very entrancing for some reason and every time his eyes would fall on me, I'd feel this thrilling sensation, like I know him from somewhere. Like he is dangerous yet comforting."   
  
Severus' interest piqued radically when she started to speak about that man. Her elongated green eyes were sparkling and her whole expression brightened.   
  
"He told me that I am a witch and he took me to Diagon Alley. While my parents were fighting if I should come to Hogwarts or not, he bought me the necessities for school."   
  
"He sounds strange." Severus added getting a swift kick from her in the hand.   
  
Instead of complaining, the boy narrowed his eyes at her playfully and pointed his wand at her nose. A puff of smoke engulfed both of them before Severus decided it was enough for their first night.   
  
Only the next morning did Ophelia realize that Severus had actually disproportioned her face, making her eyes smaller than her nostrils, mouth turn upside down and the worst of all, she had bald spots.   
  
That morning, James Potter laughed so hard that he had to go into the bathroom to calm down because his muscles hurt.

* * *

  
The next month passed incredibly fast with normal classes going well, except Potions where Slughorn tried every possible excuse to keep Ophelia in his gratitude yet he was coming to a point where she was such bullocks at it that he couldn't help but shrug her off.  
  
"He hates me." She mumbled from the other side of the table.  
  
"He does." Alice and Cissney mumbled at the same time, making the brunette scoff at their sincerity.  
  
"Maybe you should tell Professor Spinnard that you don't have enough time to research whatever he gives you. You've become very busy on Saturdays." Lily leaned in a bit and whispered, trying to keep the eavesdropping Pettigrew and always scoffing Mulciber away from their discussion.  
  
Potions with Slytherins was as bad as Charms with Ravenclaws, where Ophelia has never expected to meet such students that were thinking of themselves as ravens of knowledge. Ophelia could still hear Potter's loud laugh in the class when a girl called Melinda Gatterby stated that. Of course, Slytherins had a very peculiar way of interacting with students from other houses but nothing really happened to her.  
  
"Professor Spinnard gave us an essay about defensive spells this time. I think Remus has completed his already but I want to try them out." Ophelia whispered, her eyes widening when speaking about what she liked.  
  
By the end of the class, Lily saved what was left of Ophelia's potion but it was still far from what it was supposed to be. As soon as they left the classroom, Severus sprinted towards them and walked the rest of the way while talking to Lily. Their friendship was just as strong as ever and even if Ophelia understood that, meeting Severus for their little secret mission was nicer than meeting him in the halls after class.  
   
Another month passed just like that and Severus was slowly getting the hang of the Patronus Charm. He still couldn't control it for long periods of time but he could at least form something. That couldn't be said about Ophelia, whose wand seemed to have a mind of its own and would do absolutely anything but the Patronus. Christmas was two weeks away and they spent the night of the Halloween feast inside that dirty room, practicing.  
  
"How can you succeed in handling normal charms but can't create a Patronus?!"  
  
Severus was on edge and Ophelia didn't have to be a genius to know why he was so authoritarian lately.  
  
"Downstairs is a party. I could make myself a nice and happy memory instead of lurking on the fifth floor, in an old classroom." She retorted, showing a lot more nerve than Severus expected.  
  
"Fine! Go downstairs and have fun with your stupid friends. I'm sure Black can't wait to make fun of lovely sour grape. Or maybe you think he'll like it when you will unintentionally throw him against the wall?" He was being childish and a bit jealous since he would have preferred to be down there with Lily as well.  
  
"I will throw you against the wall intentionally if you don't drop it." She threatened.  
  
Severus walked in front of her and looked down at her hands. She did too, swaying her fingers slightly just like before but this time, nothing happened. Ophelia blinked twice before she groaned and grabbed her wand from her back pocket.  
  
Closing her eyes and thinking of the pale man, the happiness she felt for the first time she saw Hogwarts erupted into her heart. Severus watched as the faint form of a fox squirmed out of the wand and jumped around before it vanished.  
  
Ophelia's eyes opened and stared expectantly at her friend. Severus was the one that would practice it more often than she was, because realistically speaking he had more chances to grasp it but she did want at least a Well done, Ophelia.  
  
"That was only for a minute and it wasn't even strong enough."  
  
Ophelia groaned, feeling like she was speaking to a professor not a kid.


	11. Secrets

The feast was over and the halls were getting crowded by students from different houses. The classroom on the fifth floor was incredibly close to the Ravenclaw common room, which was probably the worst house to meet at the moment.  
  
Ravenclaws could ask questions for a whole day and still have more to comment afterwards so meeting someone like Gatterby was not needed.  
  
"You go first and I will come out afterwards. Be careful." Severus whispered before opening the door and checking for passer byes.  
  
No one was on their hall but once they would get on the stairs, they'd meet a lot of people.  
  
Ophelia nodded and hid her wand before adventuring out into the wild crowds.

* * *

It was incredibly easy to sneak around and get back to the Gryffindor tower. No one stopped to glance twice at her, instead they were speaking loudly about some kind of announcement that Dumbledore gave at the beginning of the Halloween feast.  
  
When she entered the common room, a very excited Potter was moving around chaotically, swaying his hands above his head with a bright smile on his face.  
  
"What's gotten into him?" She asked as she sneaked her way behind Remus.   
  
"It seems there will be a Scavenger Hunt or something of that sort. It's still a long time until April, but it seems we have to find eggs that will contain different types of spells and we have to do them correctly in order to get the next hint." Remus explained, glancing every so often at Potter.  
  
"Is that all? What will be the prize?" Ophelia asked, her interest dripping away.  
  
"That's it. Dumbledore said that the prize is worth it but he never said what it actually is."  
  
"Then why is Potter so happy?"  
  
Remus chuckled, "He's been begging Professor McGonagall ever since the year begun to let him try for the Gryffindor Quidditch team. He is still not allowed but he's been very perseverant." Remus started, remembering just how annoyed was McGonagall every time James would complain.  
  
"So she finally agreed?"  
  
"No but she gave him the opportunity to practice with them once a week."  
  
Right at that moment, Black entered the common room, his face showing an expression that he would rarely have: anger.  
  
"Mate! Sirius, she finally let me try out! Well, she didn't really but it's still one step away from making it into the team!" Potter started to ramble as soon as his eyes fell over his friend.  
  
"Good for you, mate."  
  
That was all Sirius said before going into the boys’ dormitory. Silence fell over the common room; only whispers from students that were studying could be heard but they were very faint.  
  
Ophelia and Remus glanced at each other confused before they both turned to an even sour looking Potter. He rubbed the back of his head and came to sit on the desk in front of Remus.  
  
"Huh."  
  
That was the only sound that came out of Potter's mouth. It was obvious that he wanted to complain more about what happened but decided to stay silent for a while.  
  
"What do you think happened to him?" Ophelia asked Remus, leaning a bit towards him.  
  
However, looking up at the dark sky, Remus' interests shifted and so did his worries. It was still a bit early but he had to leave for the night.  
  
"Sorry, I have to go." He mumbled before getting up and rushing out the portrait hole.  
  
"Now, what is happening with everyone?" Potter asked, though it sounded more like a whine really.  
  
Once again, Ophelia was standing only with Potter and the awkwardness was slowly filling the space between them.  
  
“Molley, do you hate me?”  
  
That sudden question left the girl speechless for approximately five seconds, time in which she had to register the fact that Potter was speaking to her directly about something that was concerning her.  
  
“I don’t hate you, we’re classmates. I just don’t like the way you behave.” Ophelia answered, her tone sounding a lot like she has thought about it before.  
  
“I’m a kid, in case you forgot. I’m supposed to be easily excitable and get on your nerves.”  
  
Ophelia scoffed but couldn’t help let a very small smile curve her lips. She did try to keep it hidden but it was widening quickly, blowing into laughter. Potter’s eyes widened like two round plates at the sight and sound; he has never expected to make her laugh so joyfully.  
  
“Are you alright? Is this a side effect of your crush on Malfoy?” Potter partially joked.  
  
That was it; he blew it with one simple sentence. Ophelia’s face darkened and her lips moved back on that thin line that Potter had gotten used to see.  
  
“You should learn when to comment and when not to. You should also learn more about girls if you ever want any to glance your way and not frown.”  
  
Ophelia threw him a glare before she walked out the same way Remus did a few minutes ago, her steps so heavy that Potter could still hear her walk even when the portrait closed.    
  
“What in Merlin’s name is wrong with everyone today?” He wandered out loud, ruffling his hair in annoyance.

* * *

It was a silent night and Ophelia was glad that students got befuddled during the feast and were peacefully sleeping or reading in their rooms. A soft smile spread on her pink lips as the frown between her eyebrows relaxed. The brunette took a deep breath in and checked for anyone in the Entrance Hall before opening the front door very, very slowly.  
  
“The curfew is an important factor in the life of a student, especially a first year, Molley.”  
  
The cold, ice dripping, authoritarian voice of Professor Spinnard froze any action that would have followed opening the door. She turned around warily but kept a hand on the door, just in case she had to make a run for her life.  
  
“It’s silent.” She muttered, her eyes widening in innocence yet the glint in those green orbs was definitely not.  
  
Professor Spinnard narrowed his icy blue eyes at her, seeing the familiar mischievousness that he had seen before, in the eyes of an old classmate of his. It’s been a long time since he looked at someone and remembered so vividly just how much terror and tension was in Hogwarts when that boy attended it.  
  
“Why did you come to Hogwarts, Molley?” He asked out of nowhere, the whole atmosphere around him threatening the girl. “Is it part of his plan? Does he want you to report everything Dumbledore does?”  
  
Spinnard was asking questions and making statements that Ophelia had no recollection of. The impressively tall man took a few steps towards her, forcing the girl to take a few steps back, hitting her shoulder against the door. He leaned in, tilting his head to the side in a way that looked like he was a maniac, scanning his victim for later evil purposes.    
  
“You should have been killed not rescued. Your blood will curse everyone that ever comes in contact with you. **They will all die and it will be your entire fault.”** He said, emphasizing every word, anger filling his whole being as he continued to look straight into her eyes.  
  
Ophelia was scared but there was another feeling that was slowly engulfing her body and mind and that was offence. Spinnard was just a professor and nothing was giving him the right to judge her or her family, especially when everything he was saying was not even completely true. She might not have any memory of her father or time with her mother but she was not going to let some strange man stain their image just because he could. No, her family was her problem and hers alone.  
  
Having these kinds of thoughts running through her mind, she felt a sudden burst of energy that was bubbling up inside her, crawling up and down her arms. Her eyes darkened considerably before her whole face became paler and strangely enough, looked like a pissed off snake. Her lips shifted into a very ugly scowl before she grabbed him by the front of his robes and pulled him close enough to touch his nose.  
  
“You know nothing about me or my family.” She hissed.  
  
Spinnard chuckled, his eyes widening, which was quite an achievement since he would rarely be surprised or bemused at something.  
  
“I know your father. I know who he is, unlike you.” Spinnard whispered, his face expression turning even more chaotic. “Why do you think Dumbledore asked me to teach you extra-spells? Those spells are not for first years but it seems you should know them before your dear father decided to pop out of his rabbit hole and recover what is rightfully his.”  
  
“That is enough, Luce.”  
  
It wasn’t loud enough to echo through the whole castle but it was stern enough to make both culprits freeze. Spinnard raised an eyebrow, visibly annoyed with the interruption but Ophelia didn’t seem unnerved by Dumbledore’s appearance. Spinnard turned towards the headmaster, a few words on the tip of his tongue that might end his career as a teacher. Well, he couldn’t say he was very happy with the arrangements anyway, especially since Dumbledore literally blackmailed him into professing in Hogwarts.  
  
In one quick and very sly movement, Ophelia grabbed Spinnard by the back of his head and pulled him in front of her, tilting it enough to have a partial view of his face. Dumbledore’s eyes widened when Ophelia started to speak to the former Hogwarts student in a language that he personally wanted to forget. Seeing how Ophelia was definitely not aware of what she was doing and someone else was controlling her from the shadows, Dumbledore drew his wand and swayed it elegantly before Ophelia fainted.  
  
“This is your fault, Dumbledore. You should have left her to rot with her mother not care for her safety.” Spinnard hissed at his employer, his neck throbbing with pain.  
  
But Dumbledore had a different problem at the moment. While most students were in their rooms, sleeping, there was one little boy with greasy black hair that couldn’t sleep. Severus Snape witnessed everything, especially the sudden change in his friend. Evwn if Dumbledore was sure he would never tell anyone about what happened that night, Severus was going to act differently around Ophelia.  
  
That was why, moving silently to the entrance into the dungeons, Albus Dumbledore smiled softly and told Severus to approach him. Being just a first year student, Severus swallowed nervously and complied.  
  
“I won’t tell anyone, I swear. I-“  
  
Dumbledore raised his hand, silencing the young boy before he could say something more.  
  
“I know. That’s why I have a favor to ask of you, Severus. Take care of her when she doesn’t need it and watch her when no one is watching. Make her trust you more than anyone in her life.” The elder man spoke, so softly and caring that Severus couldn’t help interrupt with one curiosity.  
  
“Is it because of her father?”   
  
Dumbledore sighed but nodded nonetheless. Severus turned to the unconscious body of his friend, a new sensation bubbling up inside his heart; he was excited to see just how many more secrets could one little girl be the source of.


	12. Bullying

Next morning, Ophelia woke up in the Hospital Wing under the intense, watchful big brown eyes of a person that she did not meet before. Seeing how she was tucked in the hospital bed so tightly that she could barely move, she shifted a bit in order to get a clear view around her.  
  
“Madame Pomfrey asked me to watch over for a while and instructed me not to let you move.” The girl explained warmly.  
  
Those brown eyes of hers were staring at Ophelia closely, inspecting her face for any kind of wound or slight crease that would be a reason to worry. But Ophelia was completely fine, not a trace of physical abuse –not even emotional abuse. So then, why was Molly asked by Dumbledore to come and check on Madame Pomfrey’s only patient?  
  
“I’m Molly. We’re in the same house but I am one year older.” She finally introduced herself seeing how Ophelia was blankly staring at her, “Would you like some chocolate?” She asked when silence filled the room.  
  
Ophelia blinked owlishly as Molly opened her bag and grabbed what was a handful of chocolate frogs before placing them on the table next to her head. The brunette shifted once again, signing to Molly that she couldn’t get up or move her hands.  
  
“Ah right. They tucked you in pretty tightly, haven’t they?” Molly mumbled loosening the covers and helping Ophelia lean against the mattress. “Here,” The ginger gave the patient one chocolate frog before she sat on a nearby chair and smiled.  
  
“Thank you. This is very good, actually.” Ophelia mumbled, nodding towards the new acquaintance.  
  
Molly’s smile widened but she didn’t say anything, just stayed there until the doors opened loudly and an elegant yet firm woman hurried inside.  
  
“How could he not tell me; one of my students…” She muttered as soon as she entered.  
  
Professor McGonagall went straight to Ophelia’s bed and smiled at Molly before she turned to the brunette. “I heard you fell down the stairs last night. How could that be possible?”  
  
Ophelia had only one answer, that might be working yet had the same fifty percent chances for it not to.  
  
“Peeves?”  
  
McGonagall sighed loudly and held her head in astonishment.  
  
“I will have a talk with Albus about that poltergeist.” She started, making Ophelia feel a sudden wave of guilt.  
  
“He didn’t push me, only scared me and I fell. It wasn’t entirely his fault.” Ophelia added, playing nervously with the wrapping of the candy.  
  
Professor McGonagall furrowed her eyebrows at the brunette student, having quite a hard time understanding how a perfectly capable young girl could fall down the stairs when there was magic all around her. Besides, even if she wasn’t aware of it, she had her mother’s talent and it should have kicked in unconsciously.  
  
“Well, it still doesn’t absolve him of scaring you. Are you alright now?” McGonagall asked her voice hoarse since she probably woke up less than an hour before hurrying there.  
  
Ophelia nodded, having no memory of what exactly happened that got her in the hospital wing in the first place. Actually, the last thing she remembered was walking towards the Entrance Hall after a very nasty comment thrown at her by Potter.  
  
“Do everything Madame Pomfrey instructs you to and I guess I’ll see you in class.” The professor started, taking a long look at Ophelia before she turned to Molly, “You should hurry to your lessons, Prewett. Professor Sprout was looking for you.”  
  
Molly’s eye widened as she gasped and nodded before grabbing her bag and running out the door. McGonagall waited for Molly to leave before she glanced at Ophelia worriedly and sighed.  
  
As soon as McGonagall left, still muttering about Peeves and what a problem he was for young students, Madame Pomfrey walked in and checked her condition for the second time. Ophelia was fine, as healthy as possible and luckily, she could walk to her next class without giving any explanation to the teacher.

* * *

It proved to be a day of utter annoyance and meetings that Ophelia would have preferred to avoid. It was probably one of the days she would have wished she could sleep in her room, eventually read a book about what Professor Spinnard has been rambling about for the last few months.  
  
During the break between Transfiguration and Herbology, a Slytherin of the name Nott threw something at her feet that looked like usual joke-balls, only they were biting. They would move wherever she was going so she arrived in the classroom, her toes bitten by annoying balls.  
  
Even though it was obviously not her fault and she had no idea how to get rid of them –because no matter how much she tried or Lily tried, they wouldn’t disappear or leave or drop dead- Professor McGonagall didn’t seem to care. It actually felt like that morning in the hospital didn’t even happen.  
  
“No matter how much I would like to see you transfiguring these things, I would like for you to get rid of them, Molley. Now.”  
  
Professor McGonagall was just as strict as ever, even if she showed genuine worry for her student that morning.  
  
“ _Evans!_ Hey, Evans, I bet you a cauldron of chocolate frogs that I can transfigure Molley’s little friends in butterflies.” Potter whispered not so silently.  
  
Lily rolled her eyes but seeing how uncomfortable they were making Ophelia and the people around her, she accepted.  
  
“Fine.” She said.  
  
Potter’s eyes widened, probably he wasn’t expecting her to accept so easily. Anyway, he high fived his best friend before drawing his wand and pointing I at the balls jumping all around Ophelia’s feet.  
  
“Papilio Efectus.” He whispered, his eyes focusing on the task at hand.  
  
Ophelia raised an eyebrow when she looked down and noticed that the jumping stopped. The joke-balls changed into pretty and colorful butterflies and flied towards other students, girls especially enjoying them.  
  
Professor McGonagall was ready to intervene, a frown on her face as she quickly rose from her desk, until something even worse happened.  
  
Potter was ready to claim his prize with pride when he noticed Ophelia flinching. Since he was still a beginner, once he pointed his wand at the balls he automatically targeted her feet too thus her feet got affected as well.  
Ophelia started to raise in the air, drawing everyone’s attention, inclusively a very angry looking McGonagall.  
  
“Molley, get down this instant! We’re in the middle of a lesson here!” The professor said firmly, her eyes following Ophelia’s flying feet.  
  
As if it wasn’t bad enough, her feet flied higher and slid to the right, turning Ophelia upside down before sliding to the left. Luckily, she had pants underneath her robes or else it would have been even worse.  
  
Ophelia’s eyes fell over Potter and glared, even if it looked funny from her position. Sirius Black was laughing so hard that she swore he was going to implode, his face getting flushed as he tried to regain his breath. That only amplified her annoyance and antipathy.  
  
“You are so dead Potter.”She hissed, those green eyes looking evil.

* * *

That was how during dinner, half of the school found out about the butterflies during Transfiguration. Nott was standing with his friends at the Slytherin table, telling everyone that he did it which was absurd. Potter was standing as far as possible from Ophelia but not because he was afraid but because he was annoyed that he got detention.  
  
“How could she give me detention after that? It was a success, wasn’t it? She should have given me points not detention!” Potter whined, using the same ever since he walked grumpily out of the classroom a few hours ago.  
  
Next to him, Pettigrew was nodding his head, approving everything Potter said yet Black seemed abnormally impartial.  
  
“Mate, are you alright? I’m in pain here.” Suddenly, Potter’s eyes widened as he remembered something, “I hope she won’t call me for detention when the team is practicing.”  
  
“She probably will. She’s evil like that.” Sirius mumbled, leaning his head on his right hand as he was playing with his food.  
  
It wasn’t peculiar to see Black pouting, especially after such a boring class of History of Magic, where he did nothing but sleep with his head turned towards Ophelia, snoring softly and flinching from time to time. It was entertaining when he would frown and mumble incoherent words under his breath but once he’d open his eyes, he’d be silent for the rest of the day. Ophelia wasn’t the only one that witnessed that slight change in his behavior, Potter did too and it was worrying.  
  
Watching subtly the boys speak a few seats from her, Ophelia realized there were only three of them.  
  
“Where is Remus? I haven’t seen him all day.” Ophelia asked turning to Cissney.  
  
“Maybe he’s sick. The Halloween feast had the same effect on me last night. I’m surprised you didn’t hear it.” Cissney mumbled, eating dinner without a worry.  
  
But Ophelia was worried. She finished fast and hurried out of the Great Hall, ignoring all the calls from the Slytherin table.

* * *

“Excuse me, Madame Pomfrey?” Ophelia asked, sticking her head into the room.  
  
No one was there, the beds were all neatly made and empty except one in the far back. Being extremely curious, Ophelia pushed the door open and took one step in before she felt a cold hand grasp her shoulder.  
  
“You might disturb the patient, Ophelia.”  
  
Dumbledore’s voice was soft yet she could hear a tinge of firmness that urged her to stop moving. It has been a very long time since she has heard it but it seemed to have the same safety to it.  
  
“Is that Remus?” She asked before anything else, her eyes moving on the furthest bed.  
  
Dumbledore moved behind her and scrunched his eyes towards the patient.  
  
“Who knows, my vision is not what it used to be.” He muttered lowly before his blue eyes fell over the student, “Anyway, let’s take a walk, shall we?” He added, already walking away from the Hospital Wing.  
  
Ophelia glanced one last time at the mysterious patient before she sighed and gave up, following the headmaster.  
  
“Do you like Hogwarts, Ophelia?” Dumbledore asked suddenly.  
  
“Yes, of course. Not everyone is friendly and many have never heard of common sense before but it feels a bit like a home.” She answered, her choice of words amusing the elder man.  
  
“A home?”  
  
Ophelia nodded, “I can’t really recall how home feels like. The orphanage was comfortable for a while and being adopted felt like a new beginning but never have I felt like I truly belonged in any place.” She admitted. The brunette took a gulp of air, feeling like she should tell Dumbledore what she was hiding but she decided not to.  
  
Dumbledore noticed her abstention and he only hoped it wasn’t about Tom. As wise and manipulative as the older man knew Tom was, the snake could easily wrap himself around her and squeeze every ounce of good out of her. Trying not to think about the worst but the best, Dumbledore changed the subject.  
  
“You know, your mother attended Hogwarts too. She was a witch with certain qualities.” Dumbledore said, chuckling at the memory.  
  
“What do you mean?” She asked, tilting her head to the side.  
  
“Certain qualities for Transfiguration and Charms. She had magic that not many of us have but she never quite discovered the lengths of such a gift.”  
  
Ophelia hummed, registering everything he said. She wasn’t sure if it was an allusion to what happened earlier in Transfiguration or what happened in the Entrance Hall that she couldn’t remember.  
  
“What about my father? Was he a wizard?”  
  
That was a question Dumbledore strongly disliked. If Ophelia was showing interest in her father, it could bring bad news. Thankfully, she didn’t look like a child that could be easily manipulated so Dumbledore could only hope she wouldn’t end like Lillian.  
  
“Your father is not a pleasing man to be around, has never been. His interests have always been darker than most.” Dumbledore explained as easily as he could but she seemed to grow even more curious.  
  
Thankfully, they were approaching the stairs towards the Entrance Hall and down there, waiting near the entrance towards the dungeons, was Severus Snape. His eyes were following the redhead Gryffindor that Ophelia has befriended, a girl that seemed to promise a lot. Once they started to descend the stairs, Dumbledore smiled at the brunette girl that still looked eager to know more about her parents.  
  
“Trust only those who trust you more.” He gave her that piece of advice before walking away, into the Great Hall.  
  
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Ophelia asked, rubbing her elbow with confusion.

* * *

Spending every Saturday night with Severus was pleasant and educational. Now, spending every morning getting laughed at by a Slytherin or more was not nice at all. Even worse was Malfoy who was watching everything without saying a word, even when Longbottom got fooled into drinking snake venom instead of his usual juice at dinner. He spent the night in the Hospital Wing, vomiting it out while Nott and Mulciber were sleeping peacefully. It was particularly annoying when Mulciber would take a turn at Ophelia because he’d call her a mud-blood and would constantly remind her that he was a pure-blood. Malfoy was always there, in the back, watching with a poker face, fact that would annoy Ophelia more than the bullying.  
  
That was why, three days before the Christmas break, Severus asked Ophelia something very, very unpleasant.  
  
“You want me to spend Christmas here?!”  
  
“We need to enter the forest and that is the perfect time. Everyone will leave the school and we have to give it to Malfoy on the night before Christmas. It’s a perfect plan.”  
  
Severus seemed genuinely pleased with himself. He had thought carefully how to get in the forest without drawing attention and the Christmas break was the opportunity they needed.  
  
“It’s not. I want to see my mum and dad.”  
  
Severus rolled his eyes and moved his chair closer to the table. She had to cooperate in order for his plan to succeed.  
  
“They are not your real parents anyway. You can do more great things here, where you can do magic and be yourself than back in Birmingham where you are just an adopted child.” He said, emphasizing facts that most children would get angry about.  
  
Ophelia actually needed a moment to think about that closely. He was right in some aspects, magic became already a big factor in her life and without it, she was just an orphan at the core but returning to Birmingham meant a chance to meet the stranger and ask him about everything she was curious about.  
  
“I’m not so sure of that. What did Malfoy ever do for us? Every time Mulciber bullies me, he keeps his hands clean. That’s exactly what he’s doing with us, forcing us to do his dirty work while he will most certainly take the prize.”  
  
Ophelia’s elongated green eyes were staring at Severus so intensely that he couldn’t help but agree with her just so she would avert her gaze. Unfortunately, having Malfoy’s angry face appear in his mind, he’d prefer getting punished for a year than having Malfoy mess with his life for far longer than a year.  
  
Therefore, he had to come up with a plan to keep her there or else they will get in bigger trouble than breaking a few school rules.


	13. Dementor

Severus Snape has never been too keen to spend time home and that won’t change anytime soon. His parents have always either neglected him or applied what they thought was a good lesson; he’d flinch only at the memory. Hogwarts was the best change in his life, the opportunity for a better future where no one would ever dare to sneer in front of him.  
  
“Aren’t you going back home, Sev?” A young Slytherin asked his roommate.  
  
Lucas Mulciber was far nicer to his fellow Slytherins yet that could be debatable as his personality was very dark altogether. His sense of humor was different from others, special as he would call it.  
  
“No.”  
  
Severus’ short answers were not unusual thus it wasn’t strange to hear him give no other details about his life. Mulciber rolled his eyes and closed his trunk before a boyish grin appeared on his face as he remembered something.  
  
“Careful with your mud-blood ginger, Sev.” He obviously threatened before leaving while chuckling under his nose.  
  
With the dormitory left empty, Severus couldn't help but crack a content smile. Having strange roommates like Mulciber, Nott and Avery was not what he had in mind when he entered the Slytherin common room and they seemed to have a particular dislike for mud bloods. He knew he had to be careful with Lily but Ophelia has already triggered Mulciber's attention.  
  
It wasn't just a farce when he threw the joke-balls at her feet; he knew exactly that she will step over them and wake them to life; he did the curse after all. It just so happened that it escalated into something more during Transfiguration. Severus heard the rumors and he couldn't help but feel amused.  
  
On another side, thinking about Ophelia he automatically remembered that incident in the Entrance Hall with Dumbledore and Professor Spinnard. It wasn't really what he would have wanted to witness that night but it happened and Dumbledore noticed him.  
  
Actually, now that he started to think about it more, he could somehow use that information in his favor if he could actually understand. Severus only knew it had something to do with Ophelia's father but which one? Wasn't she adopted?

* * *

"So, I guess we'll see each other after Christmas." Cissney mumbled, hiding her face behind her hair.  
  
"Are you crying, Littlewood?" Sirius asked bemusedly.  
  
"Shut up, Black. I'm going to miss having so many girls around. I have 2 older brothers at home." She snapped, showing that indeed she was weeping.  
  
Ophelia chuckled and surprisingly, being in a good mood and everything, turned to Sirius.  
  
"Aren't you happy to go home for a while too?" She asked.  
  
Black's smile faltered in a blink and his eyes seemed to have emptied of any joy.  
  
"No."  
  
That answer was so cold and serious that it sent a chill down her spine. Seeing how she had no idea how to continue the conversation, she turned to Cissney.  
  
"It's only a few weeks." She mumbled. "It should be nothing if we keep in touch."  
  
Ophelia said that but it was obvious even for Black that she was not the type to send letters and presents. Well, he was right and she only said it to be polite but that didn't mean Cissney had to know that.  
  
Once the time came to go to the train, Ophelia realized there was a very small detail that wouldn't complete her luggage: her owl. Willy has been gone from the first night she arrived in Hogwarts and even though he probably just got lost, she couldn't help but feel paranoid.  
  
_"Hey! Hey!"_  
  
Ophelia raised an eyebrow at the whispering, not understanding where it was coming from. One pale cold hand wrapped around her and a familiar voice whispered _Petrificus Totalus_. In that moment, her eyes widened as she froze, unable to move an inch.  
  
Being dragged back into the castle was weird enough yet having no one notice it was even weirder. How could no one notice a small eleven years old drag another eleven years?  
  
Once inside, he pulled her into the corridor towards the dungeons. She felt a tinge before she realized that he lifted the curse and she could move again.  
  
"Are you out of your mind?!" She hissed.  
  
"It's too late to go back now. You lost the train." Severus stated, a wide smile spreading on his face. He would have looked innocent if it wasn't for the glint in his eyes.  
  
"Are you so desperate to retrieve that stone? What did Malfoy threaten you with?"  
  
Severus answered without a flinch, "He is the prefect. I am a half blood. You make the connection."  
  
Ophelia threw him a look of utter disbelief before she sighed and leaned against the wall.  
  
"We only need a Patronus right?" She asked, Severus nodding eagerly. "Fine. But you'll have to make it up to me. I should write to my parents and-" She stopped when she remembered that her owl was missing. Another heavy sigh escaped her, this time for her own actions.

* * *

"Try again."  
  
Severus was nicer now than he has been for the whole few months they have spent together and it was suspicious.  
  
Ophelia sighed and did it again and again until a small fox was running around her feet for approximately...  
  
"10 minutes. That's good for a beginner." Severus mumbled, sitting next to her during dinner.  
  
"Dumbledore will get suspicious if we stay together." She mumbled, still angry that her owl was missing and she lost the train home.  
  
"Do you want me to leave?" He asked, getting up.  
  
"No." She answered right away, holding his hand.  
  
Severus chuckled and sat back down, a sudden wave of achievement engulfing his body. It was nice to have someone get so attached to him.

* * *

On the night before Christmas, alone and shuddering from every corner of their bodies were a Slytherin and a Gryffindor, sneaking out a few minutes after midnight.  
  
"Come on!" Severus whispered, reaching out for her to grab his arm.  
  
"I can't see anything." She whispered back.  
  
They were a few feet from Hagrid's Hut, a place Ophelia has only caught glimpses of because she had literally no time for anything.  
  
Being there, in the dark during winter was not particularly nice but it felt calming. She looked up at the sky and smiled, seeing so many stars even if it was December.  
  
"Come on."  
  
Severus' hand was cold on hers and rough once he pulled her after him. Two children were about to enter the Forbidden Forest on their own and for some reason, they were both eager not scared.  
  
Once they passed Hagrid's Hut and entered the forest, Severus let go of her hand and drew his wand. It was enlightening only a bit so they could watch where they were going but it was also affecting their minds. Shadows could turn into monsters in a blink.  
  
Sensing that something was stranger than before Ophelia kept close to Severus. It wasn't safe for him either since he was just a kid but he seemed to be more confident than she was.  
  
"Are we close?" She asked, feeling the need to glance over her shoulder more often than before.  
  
Severus had no idea how to respond until he looked at the snow and saw it was starting to melt yet it was getting colder.  
  
"We're here." He said as he stopped. "Draw your wand out and look for the tree. It should be thick and look a bit different." He said before he went to check the trees on the left.  
  
That left her alone in the dark. Ophelia sighed and whispered _Lumos_ , enlightening more than Severus. With slow and steady steps, she turned towards the first tree and stared at it hard. It looked normal and so did the rest.  
  
"I can't find it. Damn tree." She mumbled, kicking the trunk of a random tree. Surprisingly, it shifted and made what sounded like a groan. "Damn luck." She mumbled groggily, hitting the trunk again.  
  
The second time, she kicked it higher and felt it echo which was strange indeed. Since she wasn't sure exactly where the stone was, Ophelia started to touch the trunk for anything that would open it yet there was nothing. Then, she remembered that maybe Malfoy knew that and especially told Severus about it because he was good in potions.  
  
"Which means we came here for nothing." She whispered, glaring at the trunk. "Useless." She added, kicking it for the third time.  
  
As she was standing there, focusing on the task at hand, with how cold was outside she didn't feel the sudden change. Something was lurking in the shadows and it was coming closer. She sighed and turned around, taking one step before she looked up.  
  
Swallowing nervously, her eyes widened as she remembered where she had met what was flying in front of her. It was back in Aviemore and that monstrous thing approached her without a sound.  
  
Grasping her wand, she took a step back and pointed it at the creature. She could barely remember the spell before she found herself feeling the same dizziness come over her.  
  
"Expecto-" She couldn't say it all because she suddenly remained without air in her lungs.  
  
"Ophelia, did you find it?" She heard Severus ask and her eyes widened even more.  
  
The Dementor looked towards the direction the voice came from before turning to Ophelia. Having regained some of her breath, she screamed.  
  
"Expecto Patronum!"  
  
She could only think about Severus and their lessons for the past year. It wasn't anything amazing but it made her happy. The fox squirmed out of her wand before it landed in front of her. The Dementor didn't seem affected by the Patronus and only swayed from side to side. The fox looked scared and ran past the Dementor, into the dark.  
  
Remaining all alone in front of the Dementor, she had no idea what to do. She watched him crawl closer; showing her what was hidden behind the cloak. A hole enlarged as it flied closer and leaned in, forcing every dark corner of her mind to open up.  
  
Memories of her childhood surfaced, memories of her mother and the way she would let Ophelia do anything she wanted, especially magic. Lillian was a wise woman and very pretty too, also very tall. She had a friend that stayed with her when she needed, a ginger with a Scottish accent but Ophelia couldn't see his face. And then, there was _him_. He came suddenly and killed Lillian without a second blink. She was very young back then and could hardly register what happened to her mother but she never forgot those words.  
  
_"Rest assured, Ophelia. Your place by my side is irreplaceable."_  
  
That cold voice was so familiar. She felt a chill crawl up her skin before she heard a faint _Ophelia!_ and everything went dark.  
  
However, before she fainted, she felt someone tug on her arm, placing something in her hand. She wasn't sure if it was Severus or someone else but she knew they have underappreciated Malfoy and his schemes.


	14. Miss Gaunt

_She knew she’s been there before but never once did she imagine it so clearly. She could see the details as if she visited the cottage yesterday yet she wasn’t even sure she ever visited it._  
  
 _It was strange because she could see everything from a different point of view, a smaller point of view actually. Everything was big compared to her but nothing was intimidating or peculiar in any way._  
  
 _“How are enjoying yourself, Pheli?”_  
  
 _Ophelia looked up into the marvelous eyes of a ginger man. He smiled widely, his eyes full of joy and love as he bent in front of her and ruffled her hair._  
  
 _“It’s been a while hasn’t it? How is our little witch?” He asked, making Ophelia blush without really having a reason why._  
  
 _Well, maybe the reason was the way he seemed to emanate this boyish charm, making him attractive even for a little girl. Or maybe it was the dimpled baby face of his that looked incredibly cute and friendly._  
  
 _“She’s only six years old, Vernon. Don’t mess with my daughter’s feelings already.” An older woman spoke, her voice soothing and extremely familiar._  
  
 _Ophelia turned to look at the woman and her heart beat faster at the sight of her face. Lillian Gaunt was playfully glaring at the ginger, her whole face bright and happy. She was beautiful and those amazing green eyes were pretty much the same as Ophelia’s only hers were wide and clear while Ophelia’s were slightly elongated, like a cat’s. Lillian was a tall woman with long red hair and a certain elegance that seemed to come from her not from the way she was dressing, which was very classy. She was feminine and her whole appearance was making Ophelia feel safe._  
  
 _“I’m not doing anything! Don’t be a bugger, Mrs. Gaunt.” He spoke in a way that even the child could understand he was trying to annoy her mother._  
  
 _“Don’t call me that. Just Lillian is fine.”_  
  
 _“Whatever you say.” He mumbled before turning to Ophelia, “Then I will just take this little princess here and introduce her to my Patronus.” He said, smiling eagerly._  
  
 _Lillian chuckled when she remarked the confusion over Ophelia’s face._  
  
 _“His Patronus is a dragon. He talks about him as if he were his pet.” Lillian partially joked because, seriously, partially she was right._  
  
 _“He’s my faithful companion, has always been. He represents my happiness unlike yours, **Mrs. Gaunt.** ” He emphasized again that small detail that seemed to annoy Lillian but she only rolled her eyes._  
  
 _Vernon’s smile softened up as his eyes trailed from Lillian to her daughter and sighed. Ophelia could see just how happy was that man and she was curious if, by any chance, he wasn’t her her._  
  
 _Suddenly, the whole room emptied and it became cold. Ophelia grew back to her original size and looked around curiously. She was in a different house, one that she knew well but hasn’t visited in a while. The brunette witch looked up to the first floor and breathed out, feeling a chill go down her spine. She placed her hand on the railing and trailed it as she took a few steps up the stairs. The door suddenly closed and she turned around quickly, scared. No one was downstairs so she turned back towards the first floor. Ophelia looked up and saw green before she heard someone whisper._  
  
 ** _“Not yet.”_**  

* * *

Two green eyes opened abruptly, scaring whoever was next to her. She rose on her bottom quickly and looked down at her hands.  
  
“Are you alright, dear? You woke up so suddenly.”  
  
Ophelia looked up and met the worried eyes of Madame Pomfrey, who was just passing by her bed. Seeing her, it made the girl remember that she was actually at school and she had a very bad meeting with what was called a Dementor. Then, she remembered one more detail-  
  
“Where is Severus?” She asked, yet not moving from the bed. For some reason, she felt like she shouldn’t push the covers off.  
  
Madame Pomfrey smiled softly, worry still in her eyes but something else too.  
  
“He’s fine. He’s been coming every two hours to check on you.” She said softly before her smile widened, “Such a friendship is hard to come by. Treasure it.” She said before leaving to mend to her own business.  
  
All alone in the whole room, Ophelia looked down at her hands once again. She was sure someone tugged on her hand right before she lost consciousness and it was someone rather small. Slowly, Ophelia pushed the covers off and patted around, searching for something small yet firm. She couldn’t find anything until she started to search under the pillow. Every so often she would glance over her shoulder, just in case someone would spontaneously pop in. It was clear and she found it; she found the stone and it looked unimpressive.  
  
The knob moved and being so large, the door cracked as it opened and Ophelia pulled the covers over quickly. She kept her hand under and lied down, looking still tired.  
  
Surprisingly, the one who entered was Professor Spinnard, whose face was pretty much the definition of an unpleasing, grumpy visitor who wanted to be anywhere but there.  
  
“Glad to see you’re well, Molley.” He mumbled, his tone opposite of what he actually said, “You just can’t help yourself, can you? Trouble is written all over your face and you went so far as dragging Severus with you.”  
  
“I didn’t drag anyone with me. You weren’t there. You don’t even know what happened, _professor_.” She responded, annoyed that he could look down on her so much that he’d even think she would drag someone into trouble.  
  
Professor Spinnard raised an eyebrow and seemed to scan her closely, as if he knew she was hiding something.  
  
“Did you hurt your hand?” He asked, his voice sounding a lot like her father when he knew she had done something bad but wanted her to speak about it.  
  
“No.”  
  
Professor Spinnard was only a professor so he shouldn’t look so deep into what his students were doing in their free time. Besides, she was from another house and he had no right to question her.  
  
“I would prefer if you would leave me alone to rest, prof-“  
  
“Have you finished your homework, Molley? The extra work too?” He interrupted, asking something irrelevant to the matter at hand.  
  
“What extra homework?” She asked, taken aback by the sudden change.  
  
“For walking out into the Forest, which is strictly forbidden to students such as yourself, and for secretly learning spells high above your skill without a tutor. You wrote about defensive spells, haven’t you? Well, it’s time for you to write me about offensive spells and curses. Also, for the whole of the next semester you and your friend will be actively participating in my class.” He finished, walking two steps closer yet still keeping the distance.  
  
“Is that all?” She asked, knowing that it wasn’t such a bad punishment.  
  
Professor Spinnard chuckled darkly, linking his arms behind him.  
  
“Believe me, that’s enough. I have prepared classes especially for you, Ophelia.” He added before he sneered at her and left.  
  
Hearing her name being spoken by someone so strange was only adding more questions to her list.

* * *

Ophelia was perfectly fine, except the shock of having to face a Dementor. Madame Pomfrey offered her some chocolate and advised her to eat a lot in the next few days. Of course the first place she went to was the dungeons where she met Professor Slughorn.  
  
“Oh, dear! You scared me…”  
  
He looked genuinely scared for some reason and she knew she wasn’t exactly terrifying.  
  
“I’m sorry, professor. I was in a hurry to see Severus.”  
  
“Oh, yes, yes. Severus Snape, such a gifted potion maker. Of course, it’s still too early to give an honest opinion but he’s a fast learner, that boy.” Slughorn added, complimenting Severus with a bright expression, “I’m sure you will try harder this next semester, am I right? You must not fall behind your friends, Molley.”  
  
“I’ll try my best, professor. It’s not going so well for me now so I’m not sure I’ll improve.”  
  
Slughorn was surprised for the mere fact that she looked genuinely worried and angry with herself. She was so pitiful, especially because Slughorn has seen how bad she was at potions compared to other classes.  
  
“Yes, well you may need a miracle for that to happen.” He trailed, his smile cracking in the corners.  
  
Ophelia could feel her eyebrow twitch at that subtle commentary but decided to shrug it off since he was a professor and she was just a first year. She still had a lot to learn and do and showing Slughorn that she could master the art of making potions was just another thing on her list.  
  
“Well, I’ll be off then. Nice seeing you, professor.” She said with a polite smile before rushing past him towards the Slytherin common room.  
  
It was only when she passed a certain dusty classroom that she realized she didn’t know where the Slytherin common room was. She wandered around the dungeons for an hour before she finally found someone that could help, if he wanted to.  
  
“You should be upstairs, little girl. The festivity will begin soon.”  
  
He was a ghost, the Bloody Baron of them all, and he was terrifying. Of course, it was because of the blood on his clothes and the stories she heard from other students but he himself seemed to be very secretive and firm.  
  
“I am looking for Severus?” She asked, taking a few steps back when the Baron flied closer. “Greasy black hair and dark wide eyes. He looks like a squirrel really…” She added chuckling to herself but the Baron was poker faced.  
  
“The festivity will begin soon. It’s Christmas, Miss Gaunt.” He added, staring at her closely.  
  
“Miss Gaunt?” She asked, completely taken aback by that name. “I have heard that name before…” She mumbled, scratching her cheek thoughtfully.  
  
“Daughter of Lillian Gaunt, aren’t you?” The Baron asked, already knowing the answer.  
  
Ophelia nodded mouth agape as the ghost flied through the wall towards the Potion classroom.

* * *

During dinner, Dumbledore was sure to transform the ceiling into a night sky, full of bright stars while snow was swaying beautifully around the room. It was Christmas and the students that remained at Hogwarts were definitely enjoying themselves. Severus was nowhere to be found so that left Ophelia all alone at the table, munching on whatever she could find that wasn’t greasy. The tarts were delicious so she even hid some in her pockets in case she would like a midnight snack.    
  
Taking one long glance around the Great Hall, Ophelia fumbled with her pants’ front pocket before taking out the stone. She looked down at it, turned it in every way but from any angle she’d look at it, it was nothing but a stone. She took a peek at the staff table and noticed that Dumbledore was not there so with a little bit more confidence, she put her hands on the table and placed the stone into the light.  
  
“How did I get you?” She mumbled, wondering just how exactly the stone ended in her grasp.  
  
Well, someone did tug on her arm and probably forced it in her hand but that person must have been pretty small for that to happen. Also, how exactly did Severus get rid of the Dementor? Did professor Spinnard follow them or maybe Hagrid saw them? It was still so mysterious.  
  
“Enjoying yourself, Ophelia?”  
  
Hearing that low tone, Ophelia’s eyes widened and she hid the stone in her palm; she grasped it tightly before going back to choosing tarts.  
  
“Headmaster,” She barely said before grabbing a tart with her free hand, “I’m fine, yes. It’s a bit lonely but I enjoy the silence and peace.”  
  
Dumbledore’s careful eye caught sight of the stone from the moment she pulled it out but it felt like she wouldn’t give it to him if he were to ask her about it. Ophelia was a secretive child, just like her parents, so he had to be careful.  
  
“I thought you were rather eager to go back to Birmingham.” He started, knowing exactly what route to take with her.  
  
“Um, yes. I lost the train and decided to spend Christmas here. Besides, Willy has been missing ever since I arrived to Hogwarts.” She grumbled, still having a hard time because of her owl.  
  
Dumbledore’s usual warm blue eyes seemed to have darkened as his whole posture stiffened; it was barely noticeable, but being right behind her, she couldn't help but feel tension surround her.  
  
“It would be better to have someone look after him. I’m sure he will return but until then, use one of the owls from the Owlery.”  
  
Dumbledore advised her softly yet there was a tinge of firmness in his voice; it actually made her feel like she might have been the one ordering Willy not to return.  
  
But there was something even stranger and that was the sudden information that there existed an Owlery. She kept that sudden enthusiasm to herself but her eyes were shining in hope that she could write to her adoptive parents.  
  
“I assume you don’t plan another escapade to the Forbidden Forest?” He asked as if he already knew everything, making her tighten her grasp on the stone. “Have you found something of interest on your last adventure?” He added.  
  
“No, of course not. Except maybe a Dementor.” She mumbled, feeling suddenly tensioned with the headmaster questioning her.  
  
“Do you know who saved you, Ophelia?”  
  
She sighed and turned to fully look at him while he moved a bit to the side. He was very tall and quite intimidating from her seat yet there was something else that was making her feel angry.  
  
“I don’t know. Professor Spinnard? Or maybe Severus?” She asked trying to sound innocent. “My Patronus, even if it ran away?”  
Dumbledore raised one eyebrow elegantly and shook his head.  
  
“When Professor Spinnard arrived, the Dementor was already gone and Severus was unconscious. He left right before you woke up so then, who saved you? I do have my own theories but I would like if you could give me an answer of your own.”  
  
Under Dumbledore’s watchful eye -and it looked like nothing would pass him, not the smallest information about the students of Hogwarts (and even beyond the grounds of the school)- Ophelia was just a child, maybe innocent maybe not, that was trying her hardest to hide from his view. Well, that was impossible at the moment and she knew she had to come up with some theory of her own.  
  
“Someone else heard us and came to help. Someone who was already in the forest, watching.” She answered hesitantly.  
  
Dumbledore chuckled and nodded before he leaned in a bit.  
  
“Maybe. You may be right and if so, then someone has been watching you and Severus secretly. But I don’t think that person was there, I believe that your Patronus did not have enough power to push the Dementor away so based on your memories, it went in search of that particular person.”  
  
“What person?” She asked, getting confused even though Dumbledore’s eyes seemed to get darker.  
  
“The person that makes you happy,” He said, looking at her with those intense blue eyes from behind his half-moon spectacles. “He must treasure you just as much as you treasure him if he did come to your aid.”  
  
“But then-“ She stopped, knowing that she was going to give herself away if she’d speak more.  
  
Instead, she thought about that supposed person that makes her happy; her mind could only surface memories with the pale man and the way he introduced her to a new world, one that she belongs in.  
  
“Ophelia, be careful in whom you trust both inside and outside these grounds. Hogwarts can only help you if you ask for it but it can’t protect you from yourself.”  
  
Those words were meant in more than one way and understanding them was far too complicated for Ophelia. Seeing the black hair of Severus Snape, her attention shifted quicker than the dark glint in Dumbledore’s eyes.  
  
Feeling like she was at a loss of words, Ophelia said a quick _Merry Christmas, headmaster!_ in which Dumbledore nodded and smiled softly at the child.  
  
The tension dispersed and Dumbledore grabbed one tart before winking at the brunette and moving towards the staff table. While the girl was focusing on the Slytherin boy, having to tell him many things, the headmaster was growing curious just who exactly saved her; was it the same man as in Aviemore? If that was the case, he should have a word with Professor Spinnard and Professor McGonagall.


	15. Luce Spinnard

Luce Spinnard was not fit to be a professor, has not even taken into consideration a career that would involve children or people in general. Pale blue eyes that would scare anyone that would come closer to him, a face that expressed nothing but a continuous scowl at everything around him and a personality to match his cold appearance; those were his characteristics and Luce knew he had grown tired of others being scared of him and labeling him as nothing but scum of the world.   
  
Ever since he was a child, he had a certain attraction to the dark arts and he would exceed at absolutely anything regarding Potions and Occlumency. Above his obvious liking of everything that was dangerous and dark, there was one person that told him a while back something that he wanted to hear but not from him.   
  
 _Back then, Occlumency was a subject that third year students could opt for instead of Divination, which was pretty much bullocks for everyone, even the great professor Dumbledore._  
  
“Are you sure you want me to accompany you to this secret hideout of yours?”A younger yet still dark looking Luce Spinnard asked his classmate.  
  
“You are the only one that can get into his head. No one is half as skilled as you in Occlumency, Luce.”   
  
That boy was a master in the art of manipulation and his perseverance was astonishing. Besides his mysterious yet elegant personality, Tom was a smooth talker and Luce could easily say he was the best of all -amazingly talented at using absolutely anything and anyone in his favor.   
  
“You’re one of the best in class, Tom. Besides, we’re in different houses. Why would I help a Slytherin?”  
  
Even back then, Luce was witty and had tremendous temerity for a fifth year student. Of course, he was renown in the Gryffindor Tower for his peculiar friendship with a certain redhead but also for his strong dislike of Slytherins.   
  
Ravenclaw; Luce Spinnard was sorted in Ravenclaw when he entered Hogwarts and he quite liked it but felt jealous on the students that have been sorted in Gryffindor. Maybe that was why he became friends with the most talented of them all.  
  
“Hey! Mate, I’ve been waiting for you for-Oh, Tom.”The usually cheerful ginger mumbled, his happy smile dropping abruptly.   
  
Vernon Peverell was his name, a boy with incredible amounts of patience and charms. The ginger with cute dimples and even cuter smile was the complete opposite of Luce in looks and personality yet Luce’s brain was what saved Vernon several times in History of Magic and Potions.  
  
Tom raised an eyebrow at the ginger before chuckling ironically.  
  
“Now that your loyal puppy is here, I should be going. But don’t forget my proposition, Luce. We both know your talents are high above anyone at Hogwarts.”Tom spoke, his eyes remaining on Vernon even if he was speaking to the cold blue eyed Ravenclaw.  
  
As soon as Tom left, Vernon sighed and placed one hand on Luce’s shoulder, grasping it slightly in what was probably encouragement.   
  
“He didn’t threaten me.” Luce mumbled, sensing the worry coming off Vernon.  
  
“I know. I just feel overwhelmed whenever I look into those eyes of his. It’s like I’m looking at a snake, aware that he would like to bite me but haven’t found the opportunity yet.”  
  
Luce rolled his eyes before he looked down at his hand. The parchment that Tom gave to him was a secret from everyone at Hogwarts and even if he gave a negative answer, Luce was sure Tom will return and ask for a favor again.  
  


* * *

 

 

  
 _And he did. Tom Marvolo Riddle returned on a rainy night, covered in a cloak from head to toe yet still very elegant. Luce was working in his comfortable cottage outside London when he heard the repetitive knocks in a certain rhythm. He was enjoying a book about defensive spells when he was interrupted._  
  
Those cold blue eyes widened at the sight of his former classmate. Tom looked the same yet very different; his eyes were darker and even though he looked fairly good, Luce could see traces of something else, darker than it was before.  
  
“Are you here for the address?”Luce asked, leaving the door open and walking back into the living room.   
  
“Certain circumstances have interfered with my plans.” He started, scanning the room in one long glance. “Living the commoner life instead of pursuing a meaningful life, aren’t you?”  
  
“You know I hate people.” Luce mumbled, scratching his cheek while narrowing his eyes at the carpet. It suddenly became hard to look Tom in the eyes and Luce knew it was the reason why he came in the first place. “I made research of my own. You killed your father, Tom, and your uncle was sent to Azkaban for it.”  
  
“I haven’t found exactly what I was searching for but I did find something precious.”He answered as if the problem about his father was nothing important. “That family is gone now. But I found a way to assure that the bloodline of Slytherin will not end.”  
  
Luce hummed, acknowledging the important piece of information without thinking that it might become an issue later on. Grabbing his book from the loveseat, Luce sat back down and crossed one leg over the other.  
  
“Why did you come then? My skills cannot aid you anymore. You took care of it yourself, it seems.” Luce spoke nonchalantly, which surprisingly only amused Tom.  
  
“You still owe me a favor, Luce. Nott was ready to kill you when I stopped him. I knew you’re too precious to be killed just yet.”  
  
Tom’s words were selfish and it didn’t surprise Luce to hear the sarcasm in his voice. Knowing that he will regret, he still asked.  
  
“What do you want me to do?”   
  
Those eyes darkened even more and for a moment, Luce swore he heard the hissing of a snake coming from deep within his former classmate.  
  
“Kill the woman and bring me her child.” Tom hissed, his eyes glistening in the dim light. “Bring me the daughter of Morfin Gaunt, no matter the costs.”  

 

 

* * *

 

  
 _He knew, he was very sure, that killing someone was going to hurt him more than anyone else, especially because his personality and looks were instigating rumors already. Luce looked into those icy eyes and saw the face that will haunt him for the rest of his life._  
  
 _Tom Riddle was evil, he was sly and nothing could satisfy his greed for power. Unfortunately, Tom was also very perceptive in his younger days and Luce caught his eye from the moment they met in the Occlumency classroom.Not many could see it but tom could; the way Luce was looking at Vernon was not one of friendship but jealousy and that was the moment tom knew he could use Luce for his purpose._  
  
That was how, on the morning of a cold day in autumn, Luce Spinnard left early and apparated in the square in London. He could easily spot her in the crowd: a woman that was dressed like a person out of a character book for children. She was not beautiful, common if anything but she had a bright light around her, probably because she was pregnant.   
  
Sneaking through the people was easier said than done, scowling at the muggles that had the bravery to look him twice in the eye, yet he did it. He stopped a few feet from her and waited for her to get into his sight before he drew his wand. Taking care not to look extremely strange, he looked straight at her, his heartbeats getting so fast and loud that he could barely hear anything else.  
  
“Avad-“ He mumbled yet couldn’t say it completely because a gentleman walked by.   
  
He looked down at his feet, hiding the wand and moved a bit towards the left. Afterwards, he raised his head and looked at her again; she was looking right back with a confused expression, having no idea what was in store for her.  
  
Seeing her stare right back at him, he felt his heart cringe. There were many dark rumors about him but at the core, Luce Spinnard was not a killer. He sighed and with one quick move of his wand, he whispered Petrificus Totalus. The woman froze and fell backwards like a statue.   
  
“It’s alright! I’m a doctor!” Luce exclaimed, making his way through the crowd that was forming around the woman that fell out of nowhere.  
  
When he got to her, the wizard pulled out of his pocket what looked like medication. He forced it down her throat and closed his eyes. He was trembling from every bone and fear was crawling up his spine, knowing that what he was doing was wrong.   
  
“She’s going to be fine.” He exclaimed again before looking down into the eyes of the woman. “She will be well attended.”   
  
Dumbledore sighed, returning to his office with the person that accompanied him in that swirl of memories.   
  
“Why did you show it to me? Does it look like I forgot about my mistakes?” An older Luce asked the headmaster, hands gripping the Pensieve tightly.   
  
Dumbledore took a moment to understand what was going on through Luce’s head and he could finally see, after that memory, that he was right in bringing Luce to Hogwarts in order to meet the person that he least wanted to see.   
  
“Lillian was well attended.” Dumbledore said, passing Luce down towards his desk.   
  
The former Ravenclaw narrowed his blue eyes at the one that was once his favorite professor but didn’t say anything.  
  
“I hope you understand now why I chose you to teach Ophelia Dark Arts. Of course, you’re welcome to stay for more than a year; I would like that as well.”  
  
“If I teach her Occlumency, he will come searching for me. As you have seen, he already has a grasp on her. He reached her without you knowing, Dumbledore?”  
  
The headmaster heard the sarcasm in Luce’s voice but shrugged it off completely. 

"The lemon tarts at dinner were delicious. You should take one too. Their structure is most impressive." The headmaster advised with a soft smile.


	16. Home Sweet Home

“Sev!” Ophelia called for the Slytherin boy but he only threw her a glance before walking out into the entrance Hall.

Feeling like she should follow him, she glanced at Dumbledore before walking out. While hurrying out the Great Hall, she pulled a tart out of her pocket and pushed the stone into it before placing it back. It was safer to have it hidden than have everyone take a peek.

Severus was waiting at the stairs towards the kitchen and he looked paler than on a usual occasion. His eyes widened when he saw her coming his way and urged her to move faster.

“Where is it?” He asked, scanning her face for an answer.

Luckily, though maybe not at that time but later on, Ophelia was very good at hiding her emotions and showing nothing but a blank face that would puzzle the great wizards of the world. Unfortunately, Severus was not pleased with that poker face.

"We have to give Malfoy the stone." Severus said his eyes wide as he stuck his hand out for the object.

Seeing him so worked up over something so small, a sudden desire to let him squirm a bit more engulfed her. It was sadistic especially when that person was her friend yet it felt natural.

"Well? Do you have it or not?" He asked, obviously getting annoyed and impatient.

She nodded and pulled out three tarts from her pockets. Severus raised an eyebrow, not questioning why she had them in the first place but still expecting her to give him the stone.

"I put it in one of the lemon tarts. They all look the same so I'm not sure which is it anymore." She admitted calmly.

Maybe the way she was speaking so easily about it as if it wasn't important or urgent was what made him angry. Or maybe it was the way her eyes were glistening in the light as if she was only messing with him. Anyway, Severus drew his wand and pointed it at her nose.

"Are you serious?! We risked detention and even expulsion for that stone!" He screamed, not caring about passer byes.

"We need it. I need it." He hissed, taking a step towards her thus ending with pocking her nose with the tip of his wand.

"I know. But once we got there, the trunk was sealed and had a Dementor guarding it. What happened back then? Who saved us?" She asked, the conversation she had with Dumbledore still fresh in her mind.

"Professor Spinnard did." Severus answered but she didn't look convinced, "I saw your Patronus running deep into the Forest and figured you found the Dementor. I was on my way to you when something hit my head. When I woke up, Professor Spinnard was carrying you into the Hospital Wing and I was in Hagrid's arms. That's all."

"Madame Pomfrey said that you visited me a lot."

Severus seemed genuinely confused which only confused Ophelia.

"I didn't. Professor Dumbledore told me not to. He emphasized not to come, which I found strange at first but he is the headmaster."

Ophelia blinked twice before she pushed the wand away from her face and leaned against the wall. She couldn't think of anything but how a lot of stuff in her life seemed to not connect very well. Dumbledore was saying something, teachers were saying something and then friends were saying something; none fit together and she was only growing more and more confused and frustrated.

"Maybe someone else came to visit and told Madame Pomfrey my name." He added, seeing the change in her expression. It was weird how the glint faded and she looked scared. "Now, can you give me the stone? I have to send it urgently."

Without a second thought, Ophelia gave him a different tart that she had hid in her robes for later use. Severus seemed thrilled when he scooped out the object and smiled widely. But Ophelia was not happy and the halls of Hogwarts became a bit colder because she shuddered.

* * *

After Christmas, and that very ugly adventure in the Forbidden Forest, Ophelia decided to study and study only. Severus probably sent the stone to Malfoy because he became very carefree during the next few days. He'd find Ophelia in the library writing about spells and even though he'd like to interfere, he chose not to.

That was how the break came to an end and the semester begun. Many students came during the morning but a few came late at night, one of them being Lucius Malfoy. He entered the Slytherin common room and scowled at most of the first years before his eyes landed on Severus. With a smirk plastered on his face and a very royal attitude, he went straight to the young boy.

"My father was most pleased of your gift, Snape. However, he did not like your lateness." He started, not really waiting for an answer as he strutted away in the next moment.

Severus sighed in relief and went into his room, grateful that his school life was peaceful for now. Once he entered the boys' dormitory, the first thing he saw was Nott being accosted by a brown elegant owl.

"Take him off or I swear I'm going to torture him just for the fun of it before killing him!" He screamed angrily at Mulciber.

But Mulciber was watching the sight with a smile on his face, entertained by the owl and its bravery.

On the other side, once the owl saw Severus, he stopped and flied to him, landing on his shoulder. Severus was surprised and froze under Nott's indignant gaze.

"Was this your way of having fun, _Snape_? You want to duel? Or maybe you want me to tell my father about it?" Nott spat with hatred.

Severus shook his head quickly and tried to get the owl off. It didn't budge.

"It's not his. It looks too smart to be his." Mulciber noted, already having been acquainted with Severus' ugly old owl.

"Give him to Slughorn. I'm sure he'd like another one to send his letters."

Severus nodded and walked out with the owl not moving an inch off his shoulder.

 

* * *

"Home sweet home! I missed you sofa! I missed you fireplace! I missed you Evans!" Potter tried to wrap his arms around

Lily as he did to all the other stuff but Lily moved out of the way quickly.

"You've only been gone for a few weeks. What will you do during the summer?" Cissney asked, frowning at the childish boy.

Potter shrugged and walked towards Sirius, wrapping an arm around him as Black did the same to him.

"It's been a hard few weeks without you mate. I thought I'll lose my sense of humor with my mum always nagging." Potter mumbled, winking at Remus even though he was speaking to Sirius.

"How was your Christmas break Black? As uninteresting as Potter's?" Cissney asked, making Potter scoff.

"Fine." He answered coldly. "The family gathered for a festive dinner that didn't end being very festive."

It wasn't what he said as it was the way he was uncomfortable and made the rest feel it too. Luckily, Ophelia walked inside the common room at the needed moment. Her eyes widened when Remus smiled at her.

"I haven't seen you in the train, Ophelia. Did you have a good Christmas with your family?" He asked kindly, completely different from the kindness from Severus during the break.

"No. I lost the train home and spent Christmas here. It was interesting, to say." She answered in the same tone as Sirius.

"You have no idea what fun is, do you Molley? Where are you living anyway?" Potter asked, walking towards her with his tight grasp around Sirius, forcing him to follow.

"Birmingham."

Potter raised an eyebrow, "Are you from a rich family?"

Ophelia nodded before turning to Remus, "Professor Spinnard won't probably ask you to write essays anymore. He told me, and he was very explicit, that he will torture me these remaining few months." She said, ignoring Potter.

"Like I said. No fun at all always trying to be the best in class. Tsk. At least we all know you're bullocks at Potions." Potter joked, making Pettigrew give such a loud and surprising laugh that it scared Alice.

But Ophelia didn't find it offending and definitely not funny. She tilted her head to the side and threw him a look that pretty much meant he was stupid before she turned to Cissney.

"I couldn't give you any presents. I'm sorry. I have something upstairs for each of you." She said, Cissney's face brightening at the mention of presents.

"I have one for you too! Let's hurry!" Cissney jumped off the sofa and grabbed Ophelia's wrist before dragging her to their dormitory.

* * *

Once she was pushed inside the dormitory, Cissney waited for Lily and Alice to enter before she closed the door and turned to the brunette with a serious face.

“You’re the person that always comes right in time for anything. What happened that made you stay here for Christmas?” Cissney asked, having the other girls stare at her with the same amount of worry.

The girls leaned in, making Ophelia feel stuck in a position that she’s never been in before. It was a bit flattering to have them worry for her well being but it was also a bit burdening.

“I had extra work and-“

“You’re lying.” Lily interfered quickly, “You can trust us, Pheli. Just tell us.”

Ophelia sighed, feeling pressure falling down on her heart, making it cringe. She didn’t want to tell them anything because they might act rash but at the same time, she really, really wanted to share it and have more opinions.

In the end, she chose what was best at the moment and it took the whole late afternoon for her to explain everything in a way that wouldn’t make Severus look bad.

“Why did Severus accept this in the first place? Is Malfoy so bad with his own Slytherin mates?” Alice asked, her and Cissney having the most objective eye in the matter.

Lily looked down at her hands and sighed heavily. She knew Severus and knew he would never endanger someone by his own choice.

“What I find more interesting is that someone used his name to visit you in the hospital. Are you sure Madame Pomfrey was talking about Snape?” Cissney asked, leaning backwards on her hands.

Ophelia nodded, “She said so. Well, it doesn’t really matter anyway. Everyone’s back so whoever visited me will never be found. I’m more concerned how the rest of the year will proceed. I can’t send letters or receive anything because of Willy.”

“You can use one of ours or one from the Owlery. I told you, even the store owner advised people not to buy that owl. He’s bad news.” Cissney mumbled, taking a pause to look after her rat before smiling at the sight of him moving in circles on her bed. “Maybe he ran away.”

Ophelia frowned. That owl was meaningful to her because she’d get the same feeling of loneliness that she felt when she was in the orphanage. Besides, Willy looked trustworthy back then.

 

* * *

The next morning, Ophelia woke up having a very vague feeling of disappointment. She dreamed something about her mother again but couldn’t remember when she woke up. Actually, the reason she forgot was the line that woke her up in the first place.

“Come on, Remus! Just one page! I completely forgot about our assignment!”

That was Potter and he was begging Remus to give him his homework in order to copy it down.

“Professor Spinnard will know. He knows how I work on my assignments.” Remus tried to combat but Potter was very persistent.

“Having something is better than nothing, especially with Spinnard.”

There was a small pause before she heard a grumbled _Fine_ and silence filled the tower.

When she walked down into the common room, Remus was sitting on a chair, watching Potter copying word by word from his lengthy homework.

“We had to write five pages about Transfiguration too.” She mumbled, taking a seat near Remus, “But if you show her rather than explain, I’m sure she’ll be delighted.”

Potter scoffed and glared at her before he returned to writing. Remus chuckled when he noticed the content look on Ophelia’s face. It was clear that no matter what Potter was doing to her, she was slowly opening up and getting out of her shell.

 

* * *

With her friends always backing her up and encouraging her, winter seemed to go by incredibly fast and March came around, the sight around the castle coming back to life. Of course, life inside the castle was pretty much the same: Mulciber came to enjoy placing one or two jokes on Ophelia and Remus seemed to have caught his eye too, which only ended in having Slytherins and Gryffindors hate each other more than before. Black and Potter were personally offended when Remus’ books transformed into snakes all of a sudden and Mulciber was not even hiding that he was the culprit.

“I’m going to rip his head off, just watch me. I’m going to do it sooner or later.” Sirius grumbled while stuffing his face at dinner during an eventful Thursday.

Potter nodded slowly, completely drawn to the book he was reading, which was coincidentally about Hogwarts.

“I’m thinking, maybe during the Scavenger Hunt in April we could create some opportunities.” He started, writing actual notes from the book.

“Are you sick, by any chance? You look like you’re studying.” Cissney whispered, her eyes widening at the peculiar sight.

“I’m a gifted wizard, Littlewood, but sometimes I do have to use the commoner ways.” Potter mumbled, getting a high five from his best friend.

Cissney scoffed loudly and turned to Ophelia, “If only this gift of his would be a smaller voice, then my mornings would be so much better.” She said out loud, making Potter throw her a glare before returning to his book.

“Why is he reading it? Doesn’t that seem suspicious?” Alice asked, trying to take a peek at it over Black’s shoulder but he blocked her.

“Haven’t you heard of privacy either, Worley? This is men’s business.” He took care to emphasize that before whispering something to Potter and leaving the Great Hall together.

“By the way, I’m sorry Mulciber has been targeting you Remus. He started with me and somehow, got to you.” Ophelia mumbled apologetically.

Remus’ eyes widened, surprised that she would apologize for something that she didn’t have control of. He chuckled and rubbed the back of his neck in embarrassment before he actually answered.

“That is certainly not your fault. I’m sorrier for what Professor Spinnard is doing to you during classes.”

Oh yes. _That_. Ophelia thought that Professor Spinnard was only half joking when he said he will take care of her during DADA classes but he was definitely not. Every lesson had to be properly exemplified and Spinnard took it upon himself to show his students what they were learning so they could know how to react in such situations. Ophelia was always the subject that he would either bully during class or use as punching bag, no matter if it was or not her fault. It was petty and childish but it was already March and he was not showing any signs that he’d stop soon.

“Yes…that is a problem I provoked by myself.” She answered, the girls’ eyes staring at her knowingly. “At least everyone’s having good grades and they’re enjoying themselves.” Ophelia added quickly, knowing Spinnard was being vile only to her.

“Well, Longbottom does for sure. He’s been improving a lot these months after Christmas.” Cissney mumbled, catching a glimpse of the boy she spoke about.

“And it’s only the first year.” Alice added in a small voice, playing with her food while listening to her dorm-mates.

Ophelia felt tired already. Many things happened and it was only the first year in Hogwarts.


	17. Finding Willy

Next day, bright in the morning, Ophelia woke up feeling good. She couldn’t quite point out why but she had a presentiment that today was going to be memorable. Even during breakfast, she wouldn’t mind the little tricks that Potter would pull at the table, just to make Lily understand that he was talented.

“Are you alright?” A voice asked her, placing a hand on her shoulder.

She jolted in her seat before she turned to the one invading her privacy. Maybe if that person would have been anyone else, she would have pushed him away but it wasn’t. It was Remus and he had a few scratches on his face that weren’t there before.

“Are you alright? Do you need to go see Madame Pomfrey?” She asked worriedly, turning towards him with a frown.

Remus’ brown eyes softened up, feeling happy that she was worrying for something as petty as a few scratches.

“No, I’m fine. On the way downstairs to Potions, my robe was caught into something and I rolled on the last few steps.” He started, sensing that he might have best not told her.

“What?!”

“It’s nothing! I didn’t even have to go see Madame Pomfrey. It’s nothing.” Remus tried to assure Ophelia, whose eyes narrowed so much that he was curious if she wasn’t cursing someone silently.

“Was it Mulciber?” She hissed, sounding incredibly cold and distant.

Remus sighed and felt like slapping himself for worrying her for nothing.

“No. Well, I don’t know. It’s not like he’s the only Slytherin messing with us. Besides, you also have Professor Spinnard to worry about.” He grumbled, his eyes falling over the staff table where Spinnard was eating with a frown on his face.

“That professor is a loner, isn’t he?” Potter asked, pitching in from across Remus. “He loves torturing Gryffindors, especially you Molley. It is fun when we watch but still, not so fun for you.” He added, trying to save himself from sounding like an arse.

Ophelia glanced at the staff table but quickly averted her gaze when he raised his eyes. It was hard, having to be punished through embarrassment in front of the whole class but it wasn’t that bad. Spinnard was still giving her homework that had nothing to do with their lessons and she was curious if Dumbledore indeed told him to do it or he was doing pro-bono work after every embarrassment she felt.

* * *

She didn’t get to know because later that day, during the lunch break right before Transfiguration, Professor Slughorn asked for Ophelia to come into his office for what he called a clean little chat. She didn’t really think about it until she walked into the dungeons and felt the cold air and the humidity, making her feel like she was walking towards her demise.

It was extremely silent for that hour of the day so maybe most Slytherins were either having classes outside or hiding in their common room, studying the dark arts. At that particular thought, Ophelia chuckled bemusedly. She was probably studying more about the dark arts than any Slytherin in the castle and she didn’t even desire it but it was pushed onto her for unknown reasons.

Being so silent, any sound that wasn’t specific for the dungeons was interpreted as strange and so were the sounds of boots, heavily stepping on the ground as if that person walking behind her was in a bad mood. She was standing between the hurried student and his destination which was not comforting at all.

The steps were louder which automatically meant they were getting closer while she was getting slower. Maybe it was this need to know everything or maybe just too much curiosity but at the next forking in the corridors, she entered the one on the right and waited with her wand drawn and close to her chest.

Ophelia only waited for a few seconds before the perpetrator walked by. He only passed her by a foot when she caught his robe and pointed the tip of her wand between two pale blue eyes.

“Malfoy. Somehow, I’m not surprised at all.” She started coldly, remembering her meeting with the Dementor because of his stupid stone.  
“Skipping classes, Molley? A bit early for you to be down here. Should I remind you that I am a Prefect and can take points if the situation occurs?” He asked all so gallantly, his eyes looking down at her from the peak of his pride.  

He did expect the young girl to loosen her grasp on his robe and take a few steps back in surrender but she didn’t. If anything, she looked darker, annoyed that he had so much more authority than she did.

“Where’s the stone now?” Ophelia asked, tightening her grip on the robe, even tugging on it lightly.

Malfoy’s eyes moved on her little hand, those pale orbs narrowing at the slight sparks coming from her fist. It seemed she was pissed off at hi for something that she shouldn’t have any connection to and that anger was materializing into something.

“It does not matter. I didn’t force you to get involved but merely gave you indications. You just happen to be in wrong places, at wrong times with wrong people. Just like in Diagon Alley, acting like a muggle.” He spat that last word with such hatred.

Malfoy might have been right, especially because Ophelia had no prior connection to the wizarding world but still, she felt a strange and powerful ache in the back of her neck as if a vein was pulsating there without an exact reason.   

The ache made her lose her focus for a bit, forcing her to stumble back. However, she didn’t let go of Malfoy’s robe and automatically pulled him along, making him almost fall on his back but quickly regained his balance, keeping her on her feet as well. Even more interesting was the energy swirling even more around her fist, which was gripping the material so tightly that it became white.

“I am not a muggle.” She grumbled, looking down at her feet.

The platinum blond fifth year stared down at her both curious and appalled by this little girl that was trying to defy him.

She was taking deep breathes in and letting them out very slowly, like she was trying to prevent a panic attack but it was obvious something was wrong up in her head not in her body. Malfoy scoffed and pulled his robe but she didn’t let go.

The blond was losing his patience so he drew his wand out and pointed it at her. He didn’t use any spell at first but poked her fist with the tip of the wand. Nothing happened so he whispered _Depulso_ , hoping it would cast her away.

Nothing happened, nothing at all which was quite a disappointment until he realized nothing happened to her. She seemed to get further from him before he realized the spell backfired and he got pushed back, taking her along since her grip didn’t budge. He fell against the wall and she fell over him, giving Malfoy a direct view of her face.

His face scrunched when he saw the way her face was so pale and her eyes looked like a snake’s. In that moment, she genuinely looked intriguing.

“Where is the stone now?” She asked once again, her tone sounding venomous. Those pale green eyes looked straight into his and for a second, he felt his whole body freeze. “Does your father have it, Lucius? Or maybe one of your friends got their spoiled hands on it before it could reach its master?” She continued, her voice getting colder with every word spoken.

Looking at her so close, it was obvious something was wrong with her. Firstly and most obviously was the sudden change in her eyes and face but there was something else, even more peculiar that he had never seen before: the veins on her neck were visible and they were black and pulsating.

“Who are you?” Lucius asked, leaning closer to her.

She chuckled, right into his face with the most superior attitude, Ophelia laughed into his face; _at him_. Malfoy was ready to push her away, and very harshly at that when sudden laughter broke the tension. The blond watched very carefully as

Ophelia turned back to her usual self, regaining color in her cheeks and life in her eyes. It seemed she also became aware that she was still hovering over him and quickly got on her feet, wiping herself as if he was contagious.

“Um-I think it would be better if we don’t speak about what happened today.” She started shyly, the opposite of how she was a minute ago.

Right in time, three boys walked down the corridor and none were going to let Ophelia go without a little bit of fun. First to notice her was Mulciber before he turned to Nott.

“Are you here searching for your little weird friend, Molley? Or are you here to see us? Finally surrendering?” He said before he started to laugh with Nott.

“You’re not being funny at all.” She mumbled, scratching her hand anxiously.

Mulciber’s eyes widened before he turned to his friends and whispered something to them. Lucius rose meanwhile and watched curiously, not saying a word since they didn’t even see him there.

Mulciber spun around quickly with wand in hand and shouted _Flipendo!_ knocking Ophelia over before Nott took her wand and they made a little semi-circle around her.

“Poor Molley, first year and already a victim. Must be hard being yourself; a mudblood.” Mulciber started, using his usual speech to intimidate her.

Lucius glanced from the three Slytherins to the girl on the ground, which looked anything but scared. He had to be sincere and admit that she was had something that was drawing the bullies to her and to her friends. Taking one step closer, he noticed that even if they were messing with her, nothing changed, she was the same. Then why did she suddenly become so angry with him? Was it really because of the stone?

There was only one way to satisfy his curiosity but he had to anger her later. He walked away from the sight but not before he cast a levitation spell behind so she could run. Malfoy just found something peculiar in Hogwarts, something that he wanted to explore slowly by himself.

 

* * *

Finally out of their grasp, Ophelia ran the rest of the way to Slughorn’s office. He was there, standing at his desk with a bottle of wine in front of him. It looked like he was contemplating it for some reason.  
  
“Professor?” She asked before fully entering the room. “You said you wanted to speak to me?”

His eyes widened, visibly trying to remember what he wanted to tell her before smiling widely.

“Yes of course! Come in, come in, I have great news for you my dear.”

Ophelia frowned but entered slowly, walking to her professor with a lot of thoughts running through her mind.

Everything seemed to vanish though when she heard a familiar whistling. She stopped and looked at a particular shelf, where was a cage with a brown sharp looking owl.

“Willy!” She shouted, hurrying to her pet. “How long have you been here for?” She asked him, the owl staring up at her with his wide eyes.

“Oh! Is that your owl? A student of mine, brilliant lad, brought him to me.” Professor Slughorn explained, coming next to her, “I have to say, I have never seen such a violent owl before. And restless. He has been most noisy from the moment I placed him in the cage.”

“He was lonely and scared. But who brought him here?” She asked, opening the cage so her owl could come to his rightful master. Surprisingly, Willy flied on her hand and stared at her, almost lovingly.

“Severus did. He found him in the common room. I do not want to know how he got there or how you lost him but you should take great care of your possessions, Ophelia.”

Hearing Slughorn say her name was even stranger than hearing him lecturing her. She was very bad in potions and the whole year knew and witnessed it so why she was even there was questionably.

“What did you want to tell me professor?” She asked, waking him from daydreaming while staring at Willy.

“Oh, right. Actually, I wanted to talk to you about your grades. I know you work supplementary hours with professor Spinnard, Dumbledore told me but you may need to take supplementary classes for potions as well. Your grades are only dropping and you don’t give any sign of hidden talent. You need a tutor if you want to pass the exam.” He announced, glancing at the owl.

“I wouldn’t say professor Spinnard gives me supplementary classes in defense against the dark arts. He’s just-“She wasn’t sure how to express into words but Spinnard was definitely not enjoying their lessons or her in general.

“You will be glad to hear that I found a person that would be most pleased to help you, at least for now.” Right as he finished his sentence, another person entered the room, the footsteps very familiar. “Ah~ I’m glad you could make it, Rabastan!”

It was not Lucius Malfoy or one of the boys that were constantly bullying her. No, there was a boy that looked a bit older than her but younger than Malfoy with sharp features and wide black eyes. He looked terrifying yet elegant which was incredibly rare.  

“Rabastan Lestrange, younger brother of Rodolphus Lestrange. Amazing family, I tell you. And so loyal to their house, it’s amazing how these traits go from one generation to the next. Rabastan is one of the best third year Slytherins in Potions.”

Rabastan stood there, no expression on his face with his back straight and eyes staring at Slughorn. For some reason, she could feel tension arise in the room and it made her feel uncomfortable.

“Well, at least I found Willy.” She concluded, the brown owl being the only comfort she could hang onto.


	18. Strategies

“This is the worst outcome that could have happened. Why didn’t he ask Remus or Evans? Even Snape was a better choice!” Surprisingly, the one whining was Potter. Ever since he eavesdropped during dinner, he went on and on about the unfair lives of Gryffindors.

“Professor Slughorn asked Rabastan Lestrange because he’s older than us and probably very experienced. I’m sure it’s for your good.” Remus tried to ease the suspicion but it wasn’t exactly assuring.

“He looks even tighter up than Professor Spinnard and that can be an achievement.” Cissney mumbled, staring at the Slytherin table without even trying to hide it.

Rabastan Lestrange was one of the faces you wouldn’t notice at a first glance, which was the reason many Gryffindors didn’t even know Rabastan existed. Everyone turned to watch what that mysterious character was doing, expecting him to scowl at everything and eat in a corner.

“He’s laughing. Isn’t that a strange sight?” Potter asked, completely poker faced.

“He’s a normal boy, having a normal dinner with his normal friends.” Remus added, seeing how there was nothing suspicious about the Slytherin.

“He looked scarier when professor Slughorn introduced us. He was there but at the same time, his mind was wandering elsewhere.” Ophelia explained, turning back to the table and grabbing a cherry tart. “But he does look very elegant compared to other students.” She added, not really thinking in depth of her answer.

Potter and Black scoffed loudly and narrowed their eyes at her.

“Is that supposed to be an insult, Molley? Are you insulting us, your house mates, your partners in good and bad?” Sirius asked, Potter having a more offended look than his best friend.

“I’m offended. Aren’t you, Sirius?” Potter started, wrapping one hand around his friend.

“I’m offended. _We_ are offended. All of us, right?” Black asked, mainly looking for an answer from Remus and Pettigrew.

No one answered him; Remus decided to grab a tart and stuff his face so he wouldn’t have to respond while Pettigrew nodded vigorously.

“Well, it doesn’t really matter now, does it? It’s not us that have to spend two hours with him but Pheli. Moreover, I think he’s looking this way.” Lily told everyone, making the whole group turn towards the dark haired student.

Indeed, just like Lily said, Rabastan was staring at Ophelia in particular, making her shudder under his intense dark eyes. It was strange how she has never heard of that boy, especially with Snape looking them up just in case he needed the information later on.

* * *

Just after dinner, Ophelia decided she should retreat into the library for at least an hour of studying. She was walking through the shelves, searching for the answer to Spinnard’s latest assignment: thestrals. She was confused why she had to write an essay about something that didn’t seem useful in Defense against the Dark Arts.  
  
“Knowledge is salvation of one’s life.” She quoted Spinnard as she searched for a particular book about magical creatures. “If only he wouldn’t be such an arse, he’d actually make a good professor.” She whispered, feeling like he was going to appear from around the corner if she were to say something else.

Surprisingly, someone did hurry over, scaring her when they almost collided. She didn’t drop anything but he did, her sharp eye catching the title before he took it and hid the title with his hand.

“Ahem, what are you doing here so late?” Severus asked, trying to sound less suspicious than he seemed already.

“Studying thestrals, and you? Sneaking in the Restricted Section?”

Those elongated eyes looked extremely innocent. If Severus didn’t know better, he would have believed her but he spent quite a lot of time with her, trying to improve her skills in potions.

“Hey, Sev, do you know Rabastan Lestrange?” She asked out of nowhere.

Severus’ eyes widened to the point he almost resembled an owl before he grabbed her arm and pushed her towards one of the furthest tables in the library, right across the window. It was a place not many would stop to study in because it was supposed to be cursed by one of the former students, who also left a mark on the desk.

“The Lestrange family has a bad reputation altogether. For centuries they have been known for practicing dark magic and even support Grindelwald’s ideas that wizards should dominate muggles and not live in fear, hidden in between bricks. I’m not sure how far their support went but they are dangerous and uncontrollable.” Severus explained in a voice that was not yet a whisper but not loud either.  "Why do you think Professor Slughorn asked a Lestrange to tutor you?" Severus asked, leaning over the table with his eyes narrowed at his friend.

"He said that Rabastan was most pleased which means he wanted to and Slughorn didn't have to pester him at all."

"Why does Slughorn care so much that he would help you? You're only a first year. He doesn't even know your potential."

Actually, that was indeed suspicious. Slughorn and Spinnard were giving her supplementary lessons because Dumbledore asked, because Dumbledore knew something that she didn't. But what could that be and for what reason exactly was he taking care she wouldn't fail her exams was still unknown; there were many questions and Ophelia spent the rest of the days asking herself over and over just what was she missing?

 

* * *

That was how winter passed and spring came around with a new source of excitement. The Scavenger Hunt was going to take place in April during the Easter break and they were going to partner up in groups of four before actually hunting. They had one week to complete the schedule and although Ophelia originally thought it would be easy, it wasn't.

It was also very strange how each house became incredibly united as if it was Quidditch not just a random way to get students to enjoy studying. Even before the week started, students from Ravenclaw were trying to plan every task while Slytherins had one main rule and that was cross anything and anyone just to take the points. Probably Hufflepuffs were the ones that were going to have fun because they looked like they were not going to think about it until they had to.  
Gryffindors were a mix of Ravenclaws and Slytherins but they were trying to keep up the appearances that it didn't matter if they won or not.

"The sight is pretty large. We have to search for silver eggs all the way from the Great Hall to our edge of the Forest. The castle alone will be a lot of work and there will be a lot of people fighting over an egg." Lily laid out the conclusions, making everyone feel discouraged.

"Maybe we should attack from the shadow. Slytherins won't be easy to pass and Ravenclaws have been planning their schemes for weeks. We need to attack before others do it." Cissney started, her eyes focused on the map laid on her bed. "We need those points for the house."

"Right you are Littlewood. We need those points worse than a change of DADA teachers." Sirius Black pitched in, his wide smile suspiciously laid back.

"But we need to know the tasks before we actually form a plan." Lily combated before Potter could say something annoying.

The glasses boy actually seemed deep in thought. He was one of the most competitive people Ophelia has ever seen and he was very persistent. The brunette was sure Potter could come up with a strange plan and everyone would conform to it one way or another because they were desperate.

"Maybe we should use some of us to spy on competition. Only one glance should be enough, don't you think so too Molley?"

Ophelia raised an eyebrow skeptically at the dark haired boy, appalled that he would even think of cheating.

"I believe in loyalty unlike you. I'm not going to ask anyone about anything related to the hunt." She retorted narrowing her eyes at him.

Black chuckled darkly but his eyes were sending subtle death threats and curses at the girl. Sje had some incredible courage to say that when she was hanging around Slytherins more than her own house mates.

"What if someone decides to sell us to the competition?" Black insisted, his attention still focused on the green eyed witch. "Someone who treasures her Slytherin friend more than us."

Potter's eyes widened, remembering a certain detail that Sirius forgot.

"Mate," He tried to stop his friend but Sirius was turned against Molley.

"Your friendship is ruining Remus' school life, do you know that? He's been bullied more than you and has come with a lot of scratches and bandages because of a certain little girl." Sirius added, leaning in while glaring at her.

Lily was already fed up with those accusations. She scoffed and left the table angrily, leaving Potter in a sour mood. Remus was also surprised and worried because the bullying was not the problem in his case. Mulciber was more excited to mess with other students from Ravenclaw lately and he could even walk in the dungeons for Potions without having anything thrown at him.

"You should stop now, Sirius. It's not her fault." Remus tried to mend it but Black couldn't see anything but red in front of his eyes, or in that case, green.

Those green eyes were looking at him without empathy and without the slightest gram of remorse. She was so blunt all the time and so blank as if she wasn't truly living. That kind of person wasn't adding any joy to the house and worst of all, she was reminding him of his family.

"You should have been a Slytherin." He mumbled loud enough for everyone close to hear, which meant Potter and Ophelia.

"Mate, let's go for a bit of fresh air. I need to practice for next years' tryouts anyway." Potter grumbled before dragging Sirius out of the common room.

Ophelia stayed back with half of her classmates around, watching silently as if it was a free show.

"Why is he so pissed off? Does he have anything against you, Pheli? Did you two fight?" Alice asked.

That never happened. Ophelia and Sirius weren't talking much and he seemed to remind her of her life in the orphanage: angry and insignificant. That was probably why she avoided him for the rest of the week.

 

* * *

April came sooner than the professors wanted and the Scavenger Hunt was the most talked about subject between students.

"We should come up with a strategy. Maybe if we split then we have more coverage." Potter whispered to Longbottom.

Frank Longbottom was quite good at strategies, surprising everyone with his ideas. The boy nodded and wrote something down before showing it to his colleague.

Before Potter could read it, Professor Spinnard covered it with his hand and took it away.

"Is there something you'd like to share with the class, Longbottom? I'm sure we can stop the lesson for such an important matter." Spinnard's cold tone sent a shiver down Frank's spine.

Potter on the other hand kept his eyes on the piece of parchment. If only he could levitate it out of Spinnard's pocket by the end of the lesson, then their strategies were safe.

"I would focus more on your assignment than my robes, Potter. I'm sure you think you are talented but you're not. Pay attention."

Potter's eyes rose to meet the steel blue orbs of his professor and chuckled.

"Good eye, professor."

Spinnard rolled his eyes, deciding to disregard Potter altogether than run out of patience.

In the end, Spinnard's grasp on the paper remained strong and no matter how much Potter and Black tried to take it back during the rest of the lesson, they couldn't.

"It's like he could read our minds. Each time he passed by, I'd try to get it but he always knew beforehand." Potter complained after class.

"Maybe it's because you were using the same levitation spell. We're first years, it's not like we know advanced charms." Alice reasoned, making Sirius scoff.

"I tried three different charms and none worked."

Three wasn't a big number. Ophelia and Remus glanced at each other and silently agreed they shouldn't interfere with this new mission. They had three more days until the Hunt and they had to study in order to actually win.

Entering the Great Hall for dinner, a tall intimidating blonde girl walked towards the group, stopping in front of Ophelia.

"Rabastan is waiting in the library. You shouldn't make him wait. He hates mudbloods more than anything." She announced before leaving with a sneer.

"Then why did he agree then?!" Cissney screamed after the Slytherin.

"I didn't know you're a mud- I mean a muggle born." Potter spoke when they finally chose a spot to seat on at the table.

Ophelia glanced at her roommates before her eyes fell on the boys.

"I'm not. My mum was a witch but she died when I was 7. I don't really know my father." She answered, her eyes lingering on Black, searching for a reaction.

He had none. He couldn't care less actually and he made it clear by not even looking at her.

"Does every Slytherin believe you're a muggle born?" Remus asked curiously.

"Yes. I'm not sure how they came to that conclusion but they all believe that." She answered as if wasn't a problem.

"Maybe you should tell Lestrange that you're not, just in case he starts bullying you too." Remus added, frowning at the thought.

"Maybe."


	19. Scavenger Hunt

Meeting Rabastan in the library 10 minutes after dinner proved to be a bit hard because Potter was so excited for the Hunt that she completely forgot she had to leave in a hurry. Therefore, when Ophelia arrived at the meeting table 5 minutes late, Rabastan's scowl was scary.

"Sorry I'm late." She apologized in a low voice.

He didn't move or blink or breathe if she were to be sincere. Eventually, with her book open in front of her and quill ready, he finally opened his mouth.

"Tell me the ingredients for the Forgetfulness Potion."

His voice was just like back when they first met. It was so strange how their tutoring classes were now compared to then. The first time they had a lesson was the first week of March and then another on the last week of the month. Now it was early-mid April.

"I thought that we already passed that. Lately we are studying the Wideye Potion..."

Rabastan raised an eyebrow and leaned over the table.

"Can you do it?" He asked coldly.

"Well- if you mean the Forgetfulness Potion, it's getting better and-"

"Is it perfect?" He asked again, staring at her intensely.

"N-No." She admitted. "Add 2 drops of Lethe River Water to your cauldron and gently heat for 20 seconds. Then add 2 Valerian sprigs to your cauldron, stir 3 times, clockwise, wave your wand and leave to brew for 45-60 minutes. Next add 2 measures of Standard Ingredient to the mortar, add 4 mistletoe berries to the mortar and crush into a medium-fine powder using the pestle. Add 2 pinches of the crushed mixture to your cauldron, stir 5 times, anti-clockwise, wave your wand and that's it."

She couldn't believe she learned that by heart but with the way Rabastan was staring at her while memorizing, it was hard not to. Actually, he seemed quite content at the momemt which only eased her worries.

"What about the Wideye Potion?" He asked after leaning back against his chair.

She sighed and peeked at her book. She tried to remember some ingredients but it was a blur.

"Well, add some Standard Ingredient and crush something and stir probably clockwise, wave your wand and-"

"Memorize it by the end of this lesson. I'll be watching."

"Yes. You always are." She mumbled grumpily.

Ophelia sighed and felt her mind getting filled with too much information for one person.

For the whole hour and a half, Rabastan Lestrange stood there, his eyes dropping from time to time but always sharp when it was about her. Ophelia was done memorizing in half an hour but when he ordered her to tell him everything, she forgot the most important part: the wolfsbane. Luckily, the time for bed was in fifteen minutes and Rabastan seemed very submissive to rules.

"Let's meet on the Sunday before the Hunt. Same hour." The boy announced before hurrying down towards the dungeons.

Ophelia blinked, the whole way back to the common room walking in a haze. She was in front of the Lady when she met Sirius.

"Molley. Done with your tutoring?" He asked nonchalantly.

"He's evil. He only orders me to memorize how to make the potions but never really does something." She explained, visibly mentally tired.

Black raised an eyebrow, a boyish grin threatening to appear. It was funny to see her loosen up. It was probably one of the rare moments her eyes were showing her true feelings.

"You shouldn't talk. You're barely holding on because of Remus." She sneered at him which was quite funny.

"Right. Tell me that during the exam when you will have goo at your feet while I will be waving from the Great Hall."

"How would I even see you? We won't be in the same room." She grumbled.

Those dark eyes widened with bemusement as he poked her nose.

"Exactly." He started to laugh loudly, drawing the attention of the Lady, "Cherry tart." He said and the portrait opened.

Ophelia followed closely while scowling at him from behind.

"You should do something about your sense of humor, Molley. Even Littlewood is funnier than you and her funny is strange."

Ophelia couldn't argue with that. Cissney had a very strange sense of humor and most of the time it was really hard to understand if she was joking or if she was serious.

* * *

The next days passed incredibly fast and even her tutoring seemed shorter. Rabastan looked excited unlike other times and she was sure he let her go easy that afternoon.

Monday morning during breakfast, Dumbledore rose and silenced the whole Hall.

"I'm sure everyone is excited for this week. I am too. Let me tell you, however, that there are rules that you have to abide on or you and your house will be disqualified. Under any circumstances, you shall not harm someone from another team or house."

As soon as he said that, the whole Slytherin table started to mumble in between themselves.

"Also, do not steal the eggs from other teams and do not ask the house heads for help, that includes bribing, Mister Barney." Dumbledore added, throwing a sharp yet amused look at a certain Hufflepuff. "Now, the tasks are simple. You have to use everything you have learned until now to find the silver eggs. Each egg will indicate the next task but beware that each egg has a different hint that may lead you to a higher or lower leveled task. We tried to keep a balance between the years and the places each year has to search for but some of us may find more difficult tasks by coincidence."

"Why does that sound so suspicious?" Potter asked the rest but none could respond.

"You may find the maps hung in the Entrance Hall. Good luck to each and every one of you!" Dumbledore finished his speech before retreating.

"We should hurry and check out the First Years Map. I think I saw some Hufflepuffs slipping out while Dumbledore was speaking." Pettigrew mumbled, his eyes always coming back to the Slytherin table.

Potter nodded and stuffed his face with toast before he grabbed a boiled egg and pointed at Longbottom.

"Dwon't forweet he pulewn." He spoke with his mouth full but Longbottom seemed to understand.

In the end, the first years had only the castle while the fifth years and up had the grounds around Hogwarts. The fourth years had the Quidditch pitch and gardens, leaving the second and third years in the castle as well.

"So, we have to be careful if we find an egg for the second or third year. We may get stuck with it for a while." Cissney mumbled, her eyes searching everywhere.

Ophelia was behind with Lily and both of them were keeping an eye out for intruders.

"Should we search around the second and third floor? Should we go in the bathrooms as well?" Ophelia asked seeing how she couldn't understand where they could hide so many silver eggs.

"Do you think some of them are in paintings?"

Everyone stopped and stared at the redhead. Lily had a very good point and that was probably how one could tell if it was a difficult or easy task.

"Should we check the Fat Lady?" Alice asked shyly but that was not a bad idea at all.

The Fat Lady was singing when she noticed four little girls standing at the bottom of her portrait, watching her warily.

"Do you not like my singing? Don't you have something else to do?!" She screamed since no one said anything about her voice.

"Do you have a silver egg?" Ophelia asked bluntly.

There was a small pause in which Ophelia's green eyes glinted.

"No... Why would I have one?" The Fat Lady finally responded.

Alice looked everywhere when Lily saw something shining a few feet down, at the feet of a statue.

"There!" She shouted before everyone moved to the egg.

"We found one! Wow! It only took us what...20 minutes!" Cissney shouted excitedly. "What does it say?"

Lily tried to open it but it wasn't budging. She turned it on all sides before she realized something.

"Maybe it will open if we use magic. Let's see... _Alohomora_."

Lily waved her wand and something clicked which meant she was right. Inside was a piece of parchment.

"All shining and silver, With a beautiful face, You look into me, And find this place." Lily read out loud, the whole group making a circle around.

"Will all of them have riddles?" Cissney asked annoyed.

"Well, I don't think Dumbledore would use difficult riddles for first years."

"I think we underestimate Dumbledore." Ophelia mumbled, silence falling in the group. "What's the answer?" She changed the subject quickly.

"All shining and silver...something precious? And when you look into it you find this beautiful place. A crystal ball?"

"It would be shining and silver, wouldn't it?"

"We can find some of them from the former Divination classes. I think there are some upstairs, but they probably look dusty." Alice pitched in, excited that they found the answer so quickly.

"I don't think it's a crystal ball..." Lily mumbled but Cissney suddenly started to smile and move towards the stairs.

Ophelia blinked, dazing off for a moment. It should have been more exciting than this but she felt tired for some reason.

Lily was looking at the silver egg, now empty and tilted her head to the side, mumbling something to herself.

"Can it be a mirror instead?" Lily said out loud but only Ophelia turned to her.

"A mirror...but what beautiful places can you see in it?" Ophelia asked confused.

"Ourselves? Whatever it mirrors?" Lily had just as much clue as Ophelia but it did sound more like something Dumbledore would mean than crystal balls. "Should we tell them we're searching for a mirror? What if I am wrong and they are right about the crystal balls?"

Lily Evans usually had more answers than questions but it seemed she wasn't ready to work under pressure. Ophelia sighed and drew her wand, waving it at a particular spot slowly. Under their eyes, a pretty little creature materialized.

"It's a fox. Wait- is this a Patronus?!" Lily's eyes widened, taking a step forward.

Ophelia nodded feeling a bit smug, why lie. It seemed Severus' strict training was good for something unlike Spinnard's, who'd never actually let her use the spells but only learn them. That was pretty much what Rabastan was doing in their tutoring lessons too: memorizing but not actually using the information.

"Tell them we have to split because we have two answers. We need to check them both. If they find something, we meet in the Entrance Hall in two hours." Ophelia told her Patronus, which nodded bravely now that it wasn't facing a Dementor.

As the little fox was walking towards the second floor, Lily pointed towards fourth floor. The stairs were moving more often than usual which probably was also one of Dumbledore's ideas.

"How are your tutoring lessons?" Lily asked randomly while ascending. "Did you really tell Rabastan that you're not a muggle born?"

"No. It's not like it matters. You are one and we're friends."

Lily truly appreciated Ophelia's bluntness sometimes. She could easily say stuff that were difficult to say for a normal person.

"He's watching me study and eventually asks me questions here and there about potions. He made me memorize the ingredients and the creation process for every Potion we have done."

She sounded a lot like she was suffering immense torture every time they met but looking at it from Rabastan's point of view, it was probably the only way she would study.

"Then, if there is a task about potions, will you be able to make it?"

"Not at all. I don't practice as much as I learn." Ophelia answered before opening the closest door. It was leading inside an old empty room which was equal with nothing.

"Maybe we should have a group study at the end of every week. Cissney has troubles with Potions too." Lily said, genuinely contemplating their options.

"Tell that to Spinnard." The brunette witch mumbled under her breath, quickly trying another door that ended up being locked.

 

* * *

They spent half an hour going around the fourth floor, meeting a lot of students from Ravenclaw, searching for silver eggs all around. While going to the fifth floor, they met Remus and Frank who looked very worried.

"Sirius and James found one and have been trying to catch the clue." Remus said eyes wide and red.

"Have you even slept last night?" Ophelia asked, taking his appearance in. "Are you alright?"

Frank chuckled and patted his class mate on the back.

"We found two eggs and one of them was a riddle. The answer was really easy but Potter hurried and said the wrong thing. The parchment just flied towards Remus and threw some kind of powder into his eyes."

Frank's explanation only made the two girls worry. They glanced at each other before they ran down the stairs towards the Entrance Hall.

"What if they tried answering and it did the same to them?" Lily asked worriedly but something caught Ophelia's eye. "What?" Lily asked seeing how the green eyed witch stopped.

"Bathrooms. Bathrooms have mirrors. Let's check it."

"But don't we need the riddle to give the answer to? What do we do? We take it off the wall?"

Ophelia didn't respond before running down the corridor on the first floor's bathroom. She just turned around the corner when she collided with someone that was running her way.

"Molley!"

Ophelia's eyes widened at the familiar face of the poltergeist. Compared to her, Peeves looked like he might have gotten a very bad idea.

"Molley, foxy Molley. In a hurry during such a nice day?"

"You won't help me if I ask, will you?" Ophelia asked warily, partially turning towards the corridor she came from.

Peeves chuckled and flied closer to her face.

"What do I get if I help?" He asked.

Ophelia blinked twice, thinking just what she could give a ghost that loved nothing but to mess with the students.

"A free pass?" She blurted out without thinking it through.

Unfortunately it seemed that Peeves genuinely liked that idea. His smile widened, looking like someone was stretching it from behind, and nodded.

"Mirrors can be found everywhere in this castle. Foxy Molley didn't even search inside her own pocket, did she?"

That was everything he said before he started to laugh and flied up into the ceiling. Ophelia checked her pockets but, just as she expected, she had nothing inside.

"That was pointless." She concluded after staring at the ceiling for a few minutes. He was not coming back and he did not help.

 

* * *

Turning around, the way back to Lily felt a lot worse than she wanted to admit. She had a hunch but it ended up being only Peeves.

Lily was in the same place Ophelia left her but not alone; the greasy haired boy was speaking to her, trying to make a point but it looked like Lily didn't want whatever Severus was pushing towards her. The brunette witch slowed down until she stopped a few meters from the two. She was far enough not to be seen but close enough to hear them.

"That's against the rules, Sev. If they catch us, our teams can be disqualified or even worse, the whole house will lose points."

Ophelia heard Lily reason but Severus was a very stubborn child.

"My team already has four eggs and not all of them were found by us."

"Sev. I can't."

"It's alright, Lily. I found this and my teammates don't know about it. Take it." He said, stubbornly pushing it towards her.

Ophelia watched how no matter what Severus would do for his best friend the redhead wouldn't take anything for granted, not even from him. Lily had certain values that she seemed to stand and live by, which were not uncommon for Ophelia. Yet, at the same time, the brunette saw people who immediately gave up on those values for a greater price.

Seeing how interrupting the two would be a mistake, especially with Severus getting angry so quickly, Ophelia took a long look around before going up the stairs towards the fifth floor.

She was halfway when something flew right past her. Her eyes widened when she saw Potter flying after something, impressively fast and focused.

"Hey Molley! Have you seen Jam-" Sirius Black stopped when the boy he was looking for ended up coming back with a winning smile on his face.

"Caught it! Little bugger thought that it could escape me but neah." Potter boasted, flying towards the ground. "Let's see what's inside!"

Once he opened it, all of them frowned. Potter turned it upside down and shook it but nothing fell out.

"Are you telling me this was a waste of time?" Black asked, his eyes narrowing at the yellow ball.

"What is it exactly? This pretty yellow flying ball."

Potter was so shocked that he almost fell off his broom. Black didn’t seem surprised by her question since she probably didn’t know how to have fun at all.

“This is the Golden Snitch! In Quidditch, if the Seeker catches this pretty little flying ball, that Seeker’s team wins. It’s very important Molley so you better cheer me up when I’ll tryout next year.”

“So that’s why you seemed so good up there? You want to play seeker in the Gryffindor team?” She asked seeing the sudden change in his expression.

“I did look good up there, didn’t I?” Potter snickered, “Anyway, since this has nothing, here-“He dropped it in her palm and jumped back on his broom, helping Black get right behind.

Ophelia watched the two boys fly only for three feet maybe before the broom fell on the ground. She froze when she heard heavy footsteps walking closer rapidly. The brunette didn’t have to turn around to know who just arrived since the atmosphere became grim.

“Potter and Black, as expected you have stolen the brooms from the cabinet.” Spinnard started coldly.

The professor raised his hand and the broom rose up to their knee level before whizzing to the stern man. However, he didn’t look content and his expression darkened even more at the sight of Ophelia’s green eyes.

“Having fun, Molley?” He asked one eyebrow raising smugly as if he was getting ready to embarrass her in front of the two boys.

She didn’t answer him which, in Spinnard’s mind, was an act of defiance. Those cold blue eyes narrowed at her, from afar making him seem as if he was cursing her. Potter raised an eyebrow appalled by the length the professor could go to just to make Ophelia feel like a piece of mud on the back of his shoe.

“Molley! Let’s go search for that clue already!” He screamed before he actually ran to her and snatched her away from the evil professor. “

Spinnard didn’t move one foot until he saw the three children jump on the stairs towards the Ravenclaw common room. He scoffed yet at the same time he felt melancholic. If only he didn’t have to return to Hogwarts then his life could move on without having all these memories coming back in waves. It was all Dumbledore’s fault but Spinnard could not defy the headmaster even if he wanted to.

 

* * *

“You should tell McGonagall about the way Spinnard treats you. That’s not normal.” Potter started murmuring, though it was loud enough for her to catch the message.

“I will if it gets worse.” She answered, looking ahead instead of looking at the boy.

“He almost set you on fire last week.” Potter combated stubbornly, his eyes sparkling behind his glasses, “I know he stopped giving Remus extra lessons so why does he continue with you? Even if you did something, Spinnard’s overreacting.” He added, stopping in front of a scenery painting. “What really happened anyway? Littlewood was whining before Christmas, in the train that you missed it. You, who never misses a class and comes right on time,”

Ophelia blinked, taken aback by the sudden worry especially coming from a person she would only watch than speak to. It was strange how close Potter seemed to be acting when he would only talk to her when they are forced to or under special circumstances. Suddenly, her sight moved on the dark haired boy who didn’t utter a word the whole time.

“Why does Black only blame me for everything? I only know one Slytherin and he doesn’t do much. How am I to blame for what other Slytherins do to anyone?” She asked coldly, surprising black with her bluntness once more.

 “I don’t hate you or anything.” He answered quickly, looking angry for some reason.

“That’s not what I asked.”

Green eyes were staring into the depths of a pair of dark eyes, none aware that from the shadows; someone was watching everything and taking notes.

Of course, maybe it wasn’t important at the moment but he has been instructed to watch little Ophelia and report any changes that might affect her at a higher level.

 

* * *

By the time they arrived in the Entrance Hall, Lily already met Cissney and Alice. One of them had the same kind of teary eyes as Remus when Ophelia met him a while ago and she didn’t have to be a genius to understand what happened.  
  
“The answer is not a crystal ball.” Cissney started as soon as she saw Ophelia, tearing up from whatever has been thrown at her face.

“It’s a mirror, like Lily said. Of course, we got your message a bit too late.” Alice explained, patting her friend on the back in comfort.

Black and Potter glanced at each other before they laughed, making Cissney narrow her eyes at them and scream. It was a peculiar sight, especially with the way she seemed to tear up after every word thrown at the boys.

From the corner of her eye, Ophelia saw Lily look down at her hands before fidgeting nervously. The green eyed girl walked to her redhead friend and stared at her expectantly. When Lily didn’t say anything, Ophelia decided she might as well admit what she witnessed.

“You didn’t accept it, did you?”

“What do you mean?” Lily asked yet one look from Ophelia and she knew it was alright to speak about it, “He should have known I would refuse.”

“I know.”

Those two words seemed to have quite a big effect on Lily because she smiled and nodded, content with how their conversation finished. Suddenly, Ophelia’s pocket started to buzz and she remembered she placed the golden snitch inside when Spinnard busted Potter and Black for taking the broom. Actually, the professor said something about broom **s** and they only had one.

Anyway, the witch took the snitch out and looked the way it was squirming in her hand. It was a pretty little thing and very precious in Quidditch yet it didn’t seem to really arise any desire to learn how to play the sport. Ophelia could only see her reflection in it, her green eyes staring at it without a thought in her mind. It was as if she wanted to remember something and she was searching for that particular piece of memory but she couldn’t find it. Her eyes seemed to have dilated and unconsciously, she pulled the snitch closer to her face. The whole world seemed to disappear leaving her alone in a dark and humid place where one voice was echoing yet only she could hear it. Ophelia frowned, unsure what was happening yet she couldn’t look away from her reflection and the voice was incoherent.

_“-you alright?”_

She heard from distance but the the more poignant the echo was getting, the harder she could form the words in the background.

**“Ophelia!”**

She blinked and realized she has been thrown aside, falling on her back painfully. The golden snitch was rolling towards Alice’s feet while everyone was watching her in confusion and worry. Her head was aching and the incoherent voice faded away but she still felt cold. Looking down at her hands, she saw little sparks flow through her palm, unnoticeable to others just yet but still a reason to panic.

“What were you thinking!?” McGonagall’s voice rung through the hall, everybody freezing in their spots.

Ophelia thought that her professor was going to scold her for something or another, it was really confusing altogether with how she couldn’t shrug off that trance and that search for a certain memory. Instead, McGonagall helped her up and glared at Sirius.

“In my office right now!” She didn’t scream but it wasn’t well intended either.

Just when McGonagall addressed Sirius did Ophelia notice the wand in his hand and the position he was in. Sirius Black used a spell on her to make her come back to normal and unfortunately for them, it was the stunning spell.


	20. The Dungeons

As soon as they entered Professor McGonagall’s office, the two children jolted when the door slammed close. Even from afar, the elegant Transfiguration professor looked ready to curse both of them or even worse, give them detention.

“Prof-“

Sirius was stopped as soon as he opened his mouth.

“What were you thinking, stunning your own housemate Mr. Black?” She started, her voice rising in volume and pitch since she was annoyed, “And what were you thinking, letting him do it, Ms. Molley?”

Ophelia’s eyes widened before she linked her arms in front of her, as she learned in the orphanage during a scolding. From the corner of her eye, she noticed Sirius frowning and avoiding looking at his classmate. From McGonagall’s point of view, Sirius was at fault and he will probably get the punishment which in return will bring no benefit to their house’s teamwork.

“Professor, it wasn’t his fault. I couldn’t wake up and that voice-“ She stopped, still hearing the faint traces of it.

That simple, unfinished sentence made a big difference in the whole situation. Black looked at Ophelia with a mixture of offence and at the same time, surprise. Whether she was telling the truth or she was lying to cover up for him, it wasn’t making him feel any better.

“Mr. Black, you can go back for now. You will receive your punishment soon. Molley, wait here,”

Professor McGonagall opened the door and waited for Sirius to walk out before she followed closely. Standing all alone in the office, Ophelia couldn’t help but think she shouldn’t have spoken about the voice. Moreover, she’s been feeling very strange as of late and more and more things were growing blurry in her mind.

Since McGonagall seemed to take a while, Ophelia took the freedom of walking around the room, looking here and there but not touching anything. Finding nothing entertaining, she moved towards the fireplace and sighed. The flames were dancing together, entangling the red and yellow into an embrace of colors. It looked pretty and relaxing, even going as far as inviting. Ophelia bent in front of the fireplace and reached out to touch the flames, her green eyes looking like they were made of glass.

The door suddenly slammed shut and the girl retracted her hand quickly, jumping on her feet and spinning around to meet her professor. Unlike the stern woman she was waiting for, Ophelia met the cold blue eyes of Luce Spinnard. He didn’t look happy to be there and it was obvious she wasn’t happy to see him either.

“I wasn’t expecting you, professor, to come and have a normal chat with me,” She started before she realized there might have been a second option to his arrival, “Are you here to punish me for being stunned?”

“No. I’m not here to deliver any punishments, to my disappointment.” He spoke, his tone just as venomous as ever.

The cold professor stared into her eyes for a few long minutes, making Ophelia feel exposed in front of him. It happened before but it didn’t send a chill down her spine, like now. Spinnard took a few steps towards her but for some reason she decided not to back off. The dark wizard chuckled and stopped in front of her before he grabbed her face between his hands and forced her to look into his eyes.

If she was exposed before, she was opening up her mind in front of him at the moment and she couldn’t stop. Every memory she had, recent or incredibly old, came back to her and unfolded once more before Spinnard’s eyes. He was seeking for something, for that piece of information he wanted and he found it easily.

_“You and I, we’re the same, Ophelia. We belong to a world far above what usual people can see. We have magic; old, strong magic and we can do wonders with it. You just have to trust me.”_

She did. Spinnard could sense it, she wasn’t hiding this deep rooted respect and admiration she held for this man. Tom has reached her already and she was ready to bend and break at his desire.

Ophelia’s mind was buzzing and Spinnard was not letting her go anytime soon. For her, those memories were far more important than anything else so she had to protect them in order to continue cherishing them. Thus, she fought back and for a moment, she could feel someone giving her a nudge into Spinnard’s mind.

_“Now that your loyal puppy is here, I should be going. But don’t forget my proposition, Luce. We both know your talents are high above anyone at Hogwarts.”_

_“Why did you come then? My skills cannot aid you anymore, Tom. You took care of it yourself, it seems.” Luce spoke nonchalantly, which surprisingly only amused Tom._

_“You still owe me a favor, Luce. Nott was ready to kill you when I stopped him. I knew you’re too precious to be killed just yet.”_

_“Kill the woman and bring me her child.”_

She saw more than he was ready to show and quickly let her go. Spinnard’s eyes widened at the particular memories she discovered but not as shocked as she was.

“That man from your memories,” Ophelia started, her right hand massaging her chest while the other was griping the fireplace tightly in order to keep her balance.

“You have seen that man, haven’t you? He came to you; he lured you straight into his nest.” Spinnard continued but she didn’t seem to have the same bad opinion.

“That man, is that Tom?” She asked, “You killed a woman?” She exclaimed, that fresh memory dawning onto her. “You killed a muggle?”

“She wasn’t a muggle!” Spinnard snapped, drawing his wand and pointing it at his student, “The man from my memories and the man you hold so close to your heart, they’re one and the same. Coming to Hogwarts was mistake, you being alive is a mistake that Dumbledore took responsibility of. But not me. Your dear father will kill us all and you will open the doors for him.” Spinnard hissed, his blue eyes glaring at her with so much hatred that Ophelia felt genuine fear crawl up her back.

“That’s enough, Luce!”  
Dumbledore’s intrusion was too late. Spinnard has already told her too much and the kernel of doubt was already planted in her subconscious.

* * *

Once Spinnard left, very angry and still glaring at everyone around him, Dumbledore invited Ophelia to sit. The girl glanced at the door before she turned to the man that helped her when she most needed it. It was either believing Spinnard’s memories or believing Dumbledore.  
  
“Ophelia, how do you feel?” Dumbledore asked nonchalantly.

“Doubtful,” She answered bluntly, sitting across him, “I can’t forget what I saw in his mind.” Ophelia added quickly.

“I know, that’s why I won’t advise you to forget any of it. But I want to clarify your most impetuous curiosity.”

Dumbledore’s comforting words were just as good as before, making Ophelia feel safe and open up to him.

“Professor Spinnard and this Tom, they hated each other?”

Dumbledore’s eyes widened with bemusement.

“No. Professor Spinnard has always been, as I’m sure you have felt, a good Legilimens. He navigated through the depths of your mind in search of a curiosity he had for a long time now.”

“My father. He wanted to know if I met my father.”

Dumbledore nodded, a soft smile spreading on his lips.

“Indeed. Professor Spinnard has never liked interacting with people in general but Tom was a different case. If anything, Luce admired Tom’s gifts.” The headmaster continued calmly.

Dumbledore was avoiding the main problem and Ophelia was aware of it. He never said anything about Tom, who was the main character in Spinnard’s memories.

“Why does he hate me so much?” Ophelia asked the dreaded question.

“He doesn’t. I would be most thankful if you could do me a favor, Ophelia. Trust professor Spinnard and continue your lessons with him. If you can, help him move on.” He said before he gave her something.

Ophelia looked down and saw a candy. She was confused but Dumbledore’s comforting smile told her she should keep her thoughts to herself.

 

* * *

Walking back to the common room, Ophelia couldn’t think of anything but Spinnard’s memories. He definitely found what he was searching for, which automatically meant she had met her father sometimes along the way but didn’t recognize him. He was spiteful and angry beyond imagination and she couldn’t figure out why. Spinnard killed a woman and he seemed very submissive as a teenager so what gave him the right to act so rude to everyone?

When Ophelia entered the warmth of the common room, she smiled unconsciously. Everything was fine as long as she had this room to come back to. It was safer than Dumbledore, really, and she was growing fond of it more and more.

“Molley, you’re back.”

It looked so silent and empty that she didn’t check if anyone was really there. She didn’t expect Sirius that was for sure.

 He took a deep sigh before, more or less convincing, he started,

“I’m sorry for using an offensive spell on an empty handed, absent minded housemate.”

“Is that what Professor McGonagall instructed you to say to me?” She asked, a glint of amusement shining in her eyes.

“More or less, yes.” He answered swiftly, “Now that I’m done, I’ll just go.”

For Sirius to go up into his room, he had to pass her. Once he did, Ophelia grabbed his wrist, surprising both of them.

“Who won the most points today?” She asked, changing the subject altogether.

“Slytherins.” He sneered before retreating for the night.

* * *

Next morning, breakfast was forgotten as most Gryffindors decided they should take the bull by the horns and bend some rules.

“So, listen to me. I have discovered a secret door behind the gargoyle on the fifth floor. We’ll have the same coverage as before but they added the Great Hall to it. If anyone finds any secret compartment, write it down. Have I made myself clear?”

Even if it sounded a lot like James Potter, it was actually the idea of a fourth year student named Charlie. It was a bit difficult to understand what he was saying because he had a very, very thick Scottish accent; moreover, he was the captain of the Gryffindor Quidditch team.

“Why is he making plans for every year?” Cissney asked Remus who looked just as confused.

“Slytherins won everything yesterday so I think he’s taking it personal.” Potter explained before he turned to Ophelia and Sirius, “Let’s not get stunned or get detention, alright?” 

The two culprits scoffed but nodded nonetheless.

“Is there someone into the dungeons? I don’t think anyone went down there yesterday.”

“That’s because Slytherins were guarding it like there was a treasure hidden,” Sirius mumbled, scowling at the impertinence of Slytherins.

“Alright. Then, try to spread more through the castle since most of the years are outside anyway. If you see an older student help first years, attack.” Charlie said in all seriousness before a girl smacked him in the head.

“Don’t attack. Inform Professor McGonagall. Let’s go Charlie, we’re having the Quidditch grounds today.” She mumbled, dragging the fourth year outside.

* * *

“I feel like we won’t find many eggs today,” Cissney mumbled, the competitive spirit leaving her after yesterday’s failure.

“We should go into the dungeons. I’m sure there’s a lot of eggs there.” Ophelia came up with that idea but there was a small problem with it.

“But what if those eggs will require us to make potions?” Lily asked, knowing she hit the right spot.

“Then you go down there Lily. Professor Slughorn adores you.” Cissney said with a wide smile.

“Slytherins, though…” Alice added quickly, draining the small quantity of optimism that was left in Cissney.

“I’ll go with her. I’m good in DADA and I can distract Slytherins by being there.”

The three girls looked at each other worriedly before they all turned to Ophelia and leaned in.

“They will skin you alive.” Cissney whispered, widening her eyes in horror.

“I doubt that.”

“They will,” All three of them answered in sync.

* * *

“We’re first years, what can they do. It’s not like they already mastered the three deadly curses at the age of 5.” Ophelia mumbled, annoyed that people were thinking too highly of Slytherins.

That was probably the only reason she insisted to search the dungeons with Lily. Once they walked down the stairs, they met an intense atmosphere but not one student.

“I hope we won’t find eggs about potions.” Lily muttered.

“I only hope we find something.” Ophelia added, feeling unsatisfied with her findings so far, “Let’s check the Potions classroom first and just go from there. There are some old and dusty classrooms that might have secret compartments.”

Lily nodded and they set on the classroom.

* * *

As soon as they entered, they found Willy. Ophelia’s eyes widened and she took a long look around, expecting someone to jump at them. Nothing happened and Willy only stayed on his spot.

“I believe he’s guarding a cauldron. An egg is in there for sure.” Lily mumbled, getting closer to the owl. She was ready to pat him when Ophelia pulled her back.

“He bites. Willy is very loyal and for some reason, he enjoys staying in dark spaces.”

Lily frowned, “Has he been here for the majority of the year?”

Ophelia shrugged, not sure about that but he definitely spent some time in there.

Slowly, very slowly, Ophelia walked closer to her owl and reach towards him. Willy looked at her hand before he looked into her eyes. There was some kind of understanding between the master and her owl because Willy moved aside, leaving her take the silver egg.

“We’ve got one,” Ophelia said smugly before pointing it at Lily.

“Alohomora,” The red haired girl whispered and the egg split in two, “Is it a potion?” Lily asked seeing how there was a piece of parchment inside.

Ophelia sighed and put the egg on the table.

“Even worse. We have to make the Forgetfulness Potion.”

The two girls sighed heavily before Lily grabbed the cauldron they found the egg in and rolled up her sleeves, getting ready to work.

* * *

While Lily was patiently working on the potion, Ophelia had nothing to do. In the end, she decided she might as well search for another egg nearby. As soon as she closed the door behind herself, she came face to face with Nott.

“This must be my lucky day. I need a partner for a duel and you will do it.” Nott gleamed with pride as he dragged her after him, in a dusty classroom.

“We haven’t learned how to duel yet.” She tried to reason but Nott scoffed.

“Not a mudblood like you but I come from a proud lineage, Molley. I learned dark arts from a very young age.”

“5, I suppose,” She said sarcastically, pissing him off.

Nott pushed her against a desk before drawing his wand out and taking an offensive stance. He definitely knew what he was doing, unlike her.

“This is not my lucky day,” Ophelia mumbled, drawing her wand just in case. Right about now, she hoped Spinnard’s lesson could come in handy.

“Expeliarmus!” Nott screamed, throwing Ophelia’s wand aside. The Slytherin chuckled darkly before muttering, “Stupefy,”

Just like 24 hours ago, Ophelia was thrown against the floor, her back hurting quite a bit.

“You’re really an easy target, Molley,” Nott boasted, feeling happier to see her at his feet than to actually find the next clue. He had to win a duel in order to find the clue and finding her was a good sign.

Unfortunately, Ophelia’s sparkles were making control hard, especially with her heart beating so fast. Nott was ready to attack once again when she rolled towards the window and whispered.

“Accio wand,” She whispered.

Slowly, very slowly, the wand moved towards the girl. Nott noticed it and stepped over it, making it impossible to reach it.  
Ophelia sighed, quite disappointed that Spinnard never thought about teaching her how to duel. The green eyed witch looked up at Nott’s grinning face and prepared herself for another curse. She could see him speak it and it sounded a lot like Crucio. Ophelia shielded her face with her hands but nothing happened. She looked up and saw Nott spread in a corner, having spasms. 

“Was it me?” She asked herself, looking at her hands. The blue sparkles were jolting from her fingers but it didn’t look strong enough.

_Take his egg,_

There it was that voice she heard before. It sounded very familiar but it was still too soft to recognize it. Warily, Ophelia walked to the Slytherin and searched for his egg. She didn’t find it but she did find the parchment that said Nott had to win a duel. Since he definitely didn’t win, she grabbed it and waited for the clue. It was a riddle and both the duel and riddle valued 100 points.

“What is so delicate that when you say its name, it is broken?” Ophelia read out loud.

The brunette thought hard about it, even paced around hoping she will stumble against the answer. On the other side, she was curious if Lily finished the potion so they could get another riddle and finally earn some points.

While still on the floor, Nott tried to raise but groaned at the pain.

“Can’t Slytherins be silent even when they’re hurt?” She mumbled annoyed. Her eyes widened when she finally understood what it meant. “Silence. The answer is silence.” She told the parchment. A silver ‘correct’ appeared in the place of the riddle and the parchment became dust.

Content with her result, she went back into the Potions classroom only to find a Slytherin with her wand pointed at Lily.

“Give me the potion nicely or I can use the hard way.” She threatened but Lily didn’t look ready to give up. “Move, mudblood!”

If that was how Slytherins earned so many points already, Ophelia felt even better for taking the egg from Nott. Seeing how impatient was that girl, Ophelia made a bit of noise to draw her attention. Lily was fast enough to finish and grab the parchment before defending herself.

“Expeliarmus!” Lily screamed before running to the door.

The Slytherin girl was ready to curse the two Gryffindors but Willy flied and scratched her hands.

Lily and Ophelia ran out and eventually stopped near another dusty classroom.

“What’s the riddle?” Ophelia asked in a hurry.

“If you have it, you want to share it but once you share it, you no longer have it.” Lily read.

Ophelia frowned and read the riddle once more in her mind. Willy was guarding a riddle with an easy answer yet significant.

“A secret,” Ophelia gave the answer, feeling guilty yet not having a real reason for that.

Just like before, the parchment became dust after telling them they were correct. Lily looked happy but something was off with the path the Scavenger Hunt was taking.


	21. One Year Done

The Scavenger Hunt ended up with a lot of ruckus and not all of it was because of the competition. It seemed that a few eggs have been tempered with and even more have exploded when given the right answers. In the end, the house with the most points was-

“Hufflepuff.” Potter started at breakfast the following Saturday, “Hufflepuff found the most silver eggs for the fifth and seventh years. So, even if Ravenclaws had the most points for the third and fourth years and Slytherin for the second and first, they won. And even worse, Gryffindor didn’t win anything at all. Anything!” He exclaimed, offended, drawing the attention of the whole table.

“Please, calm down. I’m ashamed enough as it is.” Charlie mumbled. He was exhausted after he did all those schemes in order to win points.

"I bet he feels the worst. After the work and time he spent on plans, it ended up disastrous." Lily whispered to the girls, throwing quick glances at the fourth year Gryffindor.

"Well, at least it was fun. It prepared us for the upcoming exams." Alice added, smiling encouragingly at her friends,

"Everyone will pass with flying colors now."

"I doubt it," Cissney coughed, trying not to make it obvious who she was referring to.

"Anyway, looking back this year has been the greatest time of my life. I can't help but look forward to the next and next." Alice changed the subject quickly, before Pettigrew could realize Cissney was very much referring to him.

Everyone agreed and even toasted for that, making weird comments from the side but not Ophelia. She was happy with the friends she made but at the same time, there was something bugging her.

Later that day, she was called outside the common room for a quick chat. It wasn't a surprise when she met Severus in front of the Fat Lady. He grabbed her arm and pulled her aside with a frown on his face.

"We have a problem. An immense problem," He whispered.

"Does it concern the Scavenger Hunt?" She asked, her mind going back to the time she dueled Nott.

Severus looked confused before he shrugged that idea away.

"It concerns Malfoy,"

As soon as Severus spelled that name, Ophelia knew it was trouble. She could understand the constant frown on his face and the reason he looked even paler than usually. There were traces of sweat on his forehead and his eyes were shining with fear.

"Something happened. The stone that we gave him was supposed to work with whatever his father was supposed to make. It didn't because the stone was not the right one. It wasn't the philosopher stone but a copy of it, very well made too." Severus explained slowly for her to understand how bad it was.

Ophelia understood well just what kind of troublesome matter that was but couldn't understand one tiny detail.

"We found it in the spot he told us about. How could it not be right?" She asked.

"I know. You took it from the trunk but maybe something happened when the dementor appeared."

That was one way of putting it. Ophelia's eyes darkened as she remembered how she got in the possession of the stone.

"I didn't." She started, her eyebrows furrowing in confusion, "I didn't take it out. Before I fell unconscious, someone put it in my hand. Someone small and quick handed." Ophelia explained, looking down at her hands.

Severus Snape was scared. For some reason, all the happy memories left him and he started to remember the days he spent at home, the days of pain and loneliness from before he found Lily and before he came to Hogwarts. No, he wasn't going to that dark corner again.

While Snape was terrified of what Malfoy could do to his future in school, Ophelia looked to the side thoughtfully. There was a small person that gave her a stone, they already encountered the dementor and Dumbledore knew of their little adventure.

"Is it possible we didn't even take it? Is it still there?" She asked still thinking hard about it.

Snape's eyes widened as he realized she might as well be right.

"That means we can take it and give it to Malfoy and everything will be alright."

They nodded to each other and agreed to try again that night.

* * *

They found the trunk faster than before, mostly because it was summer and the forest has already been covered by older students during the Hunt. The tree was even easier to spot with the moonlight shining over them. There was one small problem.

"It's not here. How can it not be here?" Snape asked, searching the trunk for a secret compartment except the obvious one. Nothing.

The brunette turned towards the castle with Dumbledore's face in mind. The headmaster was one strange wizard if he took it. But how could she know for sure? Anyone could have taken it during the Hunt by coincidence or maybe Spinnard took it that night.

"We need to find that stone or our lives will be a lot worse." Snape hissed, blaming himself for being so stupid.

* * *

That was everything Snape did for the rest of the year. Exams were taking most of the days but he couldn't think of anything else. The dark haired boy was worried every time he'd go into and out of the common room or during dinner.

Ophelia was just across the room and he was sure she wasn't feeling even half of his pain. She wasn't a Slytherin but he was and inside the common room, anything could happen.

That was how on the last Friday, right after their last exam in Potions, Rodolphus Lestrange came to the first year with Malfoy on his tail. Quickly than he could blink, Rodolphus had Snape hung upside down in the air.

"Have you heard, Lucius? First years these days have a tendency to go against their elders. This one in particular has kept the treasure for himself instead of giving forward." Rodolphus started. He had the same high class expression as Malfoy but even in his position, Snape could see that Malfoy was not on the same pedestal as Lestrange.

"I gave you the stone that we found. It's not my fault if it isn't the right one." He tried to be brave but Lestrange's eyes glistened wickedly, scaring him shitless.

"Are you sure, Severus? Your life can take a sudden turn if you lie to me. That stone is very important."

Severus nodded before he looked at the Prefect for help. The blond seemed to be thinking of another way to solve the problem.

"The girl found the stone, didn't she? The Gryffindor. Does she have it?"

Severus shook his head quickly, having a quick idea what Lestrange would do to her.

"Are you sure? She might have given you the wrong stone for all you can know."

Well, that was true. She did see it as a game in the beginning and she did find the trunk first but how could she? Ophelia was not interested in these kinds of affairs; she was a loner most of the time.

"Silence is an answer, Severus." Lestrange hissed before he walked away. Snape fell on his face loudly before he remembered where Lestrange was going.

"Why are you even thinking of protecting that girl? She's not worth your time. You should change your priorities if you want to survive."

Snape almost forgot that Malfoy was still there until he heard him. The blond was looking down at the first year with genuine worry, mainly because he was a Prefect and Severus was part of the Slytherin house.

"You should learn that loyalty to your house means far more than a petty friendship."

Those words could be taken in two different ways and Snape understood both. He was a smart child and nodded, admitting to himself that being around Ophelia was doing him more harm than good. Yet, he couldn't help it. While he liked to be close to Lily because she was so genuine and so bright, Ophelia was this mysterious creature that was drawing him in.

* * *

"What are you doing, Molley?" A confused professor McGonagall asked the girl standing still in front of a gargoyle.

"His office is behind the gargoyle, isn't it? I would like to talk to him about something but I don't know the password." She answered while looking up at her professor with wide innocent eyes.

McGonagall sighed, having no interest in the reason yet still being wary.

"Butterbeer" She said with the gargoyle moving to the side.

"Thank you," Ophelia mumbled, entering with the professor following closely.

As soon as the door to his office opened, McGonagall entered first and informed the headmaster of the prize that Hufflepuffs were supposed to receive. It was unfortunate that her own house failed in every year but it seemed they didn't lose anything more than the House Cup.

"Ophelia?"

Hearing Dumbledore's soft voice instantly woke her up from her eerie. His blue eyes were glistening from under his spectacles with amusement.

"I- well- there was-"

There was no easy and innocent way of asking him the truth. She had to sound rude and maybe a bit foolish but the curiosity was eating her away.

"You knew about the stone, didn't you sir? You knew all along that Malfoy asked Severus to bring it to him and you took it. The trunk is empty."

Dumbledore raised an eyebrow but didn't say anything yet.

"Was it you who gave me the fake stone? You placed it in my hand right before I fainted in the forest. It was either you or Professor Spinnard." She continued.

"Neither I or Professor Spinnard are small enough to do it. Such small creatures are very quick."

"Then who was it? And why did this creature give it to me if it's fake?"

"Have you wondered, Ophelia, what this stone means?" He asked. The girl didn't move or speak so Dumbledore continued, "Most commonly, the philosopher stone is known to transform metal into gold. But, in the hands of someone with grand imagination, it can be used to create the Elixir of Life."

Ophelia's eyes widened at the information but soon got back to normal, rising curiosities in Dumbledore. The girl was registering information very fast and she was sure to express few emotions in order to keep herself guarded.

"Is that why Malfoy wanted it?"

Dumbledore chuckled before throwing her a look of coy.

"It doesn't matter because he doesn't have it. It would be better for the stone to remain where it is now."

"Then where is it? Do you have it, sir?"

Dumbledore smiled widely at his student.

"No. I'm afraid I don't. But that is not the question is it? The stone should either remain hidden or it should be given back to its rightful possessor, Nicolas Flamel."

Ophelia nodded and walked out. It was strange how he gave her the name of the possessor but not a real answer to her question. Feeling like she should just drop the subject altogether, she walked back to the common room.

Remembering everything that happened in the last year, Ophelia smiled. The lectures were nice even if she couldn’t understand all of them, the house she was sorted in was far better than she imagined and she had friends. It didn’t even matter that she got bullied for a while or that she might have failed Potions because now, she finally had a reason to look forward to every year.

She started to skip happily, assured that no one could see her. Exams were over and most students were excited to go home for the summer. Ophelia wasn’t excited but she wanted to tell her parents everything she experienced at Hogwarts. She was convinced that her mother would believe her but her father was a police officer; he was going to question her under the dim lit neon in the kitchen.

But it didn’t matter. What mattered was that she will return to Hogwarts in September and then next September and next for 6 more years.

As she turned the corner towards the corridor to the Fat Lady, Ophelia stopped and stumbled to the side. She might have been a bit too happy because she became dizzy.

_“Go back inside, Ophelia! This man-this man-“_

_“Forget the man you saw today. Forget everything and look forward to a better life. You have to trust me, alright?”_

_“Kill the woman and bring me her child.”_

_“The man from my memories and the man you hold so close to your heart, they’r one and the same.”_

_“My skills cannot aid you anymore, Tom.”_

Tom. Who was that Tom and what skills did he have for Luce Spinnard to admire him?

“The man from my memories and the man you hold so close to your heart, they’re one and the same. That’s what he said but-“

Ophelia cringed when a sudden wave of energy entered her mind and made her lose her balance.

_Lies! They’re all lies!_   
  


_“Tom! Tom, look what I did!” A very happy ginger ran to her cousin with a wide smile on her face, “Look!”_   
  


_The ginger moved her hands in the air until little sparks came out of her fingers, following her movements. They started to connect to each other and create forms swaying in the air. Then everything darkened and the sparks transformed into fire._

_“You have no right to interfere in our family affairs.” A very angry Tom spoke. Across him was another man and he had his arm wrapped tightly around the ginger woman from before._

_“You’re insane! Is this what you call a family? Locking her up and threatening her life? What about her child! You’re risking the life of an unborn child!”_

_“That child is mine. No matter how much you will lie to yourself, Peverell, that child is mine.” Tom hissed yet it was obvious he was pleased with what he said and Peverell’s expression._

_Green light engulfed them all and pushed Ophelia back._

She opened her eyes widely only to find herself in the corridor, not a soul nearby. She could still feel the anger in Tom and how betrayed he felt. There was another man, one that looked extremely familiar but she didn’t know where she saw him before.

But Tom. Ophelia knew exactly where she had seen him before.

“The man from my memories and the man you hold so close to your heart, they’re one and the same.” She whispered, finally making sense, “Tom.”

* * *

Ophelia ended up not telling a soul of what happened and if possible, she wanted to keep the secret until next year or forever, both worked for her. But she couldn’t shrug Tom off; he looked pretty much like a younger version of the man she had met.

The ride back home was event-less, as much as it could be with Potter and Black moaning about being separated for three whole months.

“I’ll miss you!”

“I’ll miss you more!”

“I’ll miss you more than I’ll miss my bed!”

“I’ll miss you more than I’ll miss the Quidditch grounds!”

“I’ll miss you more than I’ll miss seeing McGonagall get mad at Longbottom for breaking her favorite mug!”

“I’ll miss you more than I’ll miss seeing Molley hang upside down in the air during Transfiguration!” Potter screamed it out for the whole train to hear.

“I’ll-mm!” Black’s eyes widened when his mouth zipped shut. “Mmmm mmm!” He screamed, turning to glare at the person that shut him up so rudely.

Potter was laughing when his mouth zipped shut as well and his amusement vanished.

Cissney Littlewood was standing in the door, a scowl on her face as she started to speak,

“We got it. You’ll miss each other. The world will end for three months because you’ll be separated. Now, some silence please.” She said and spun around, going back into her compartment.

“Finally, they shut up. I can’t understand how you can spend so much time with them,” Severus mumbled angrily, spitting the last word with so much disgust.

“They’re not that bad. Sometimes, they brighten up the mood without realizing. During the exams, they made us laugh and relax.” Lily said softly, smiling at the memory.

Severus’s eyes narrowed immediately and folded his arms in front of his chest, mumbling something to himself. Ophelia chuckled under her hand, content that the year ended just as it began.


	22. Unwilling Help

London of the year 1972 was a city that offered its inhabitants safety and elegance but there were still dark corners and alleys were one would only hope not to pass through.

The street lights never really worked on that particular street. Every man and woman would look twice over their shoulder, just in case a shadow would follow them into the night.

A man in a worn out cloak walked down that same street, assured that nothing could happen to him. That didn’t mean he wasn’t careful of the world around him, especially since he has lived enough and seen enough to know that the world was not safe or friendly.

His eyes were watching everything, scanning every building just in case he had to hide. A wizard walking at night through a bad neighborhood could spark a muggle’s interest, especially with the way he seemed to carry something important. He didn’t want to get robbed and have to use magic; he’d rather run and hide.

But no one was on the street at that hour. It was a quarter past midnight and the only form on the street besides him was his shadow, creeping along.

The street lamps were working poorly and at some point became completely dark but that was fine; he arrived at his destination.

From outside, it didn’t quirk any suspicion but once he entered, the wizard asked himself if his curiosity was not a bit dangerous at times. The inside was in a poor condition with cobwebs at every corner, a thick smell of rust and mold coming from the bar. Scrunching his nose in disgust, the wizard let his eyes scan the inside as he pulled his cloak off his head.

The bartender was busy cleaning his bar, which was quite an irony since it looked like it hasn’t been cleaned in a very long time. The ragged old man looked up once someone new walked inside his home and workplace and cracked a sly smile.

“Oy, enter, enter! Are ya he’e for a bit of fun? Ya’r too early.” The bartender said in a strange accent.

The wizard raised an eyebrow and walked further inside yet not towards the bar but in search for someone.

“It’s alright, Sage,” The soft voice of Albus Dumbledore echoed through the room, “A cup of tea will be enough.”

The bartender’s expression immediately fell into a more respectable one and nodded. The wizard scoffed as he made his way towards the old man and sat across him.

“You never cease to surprise me with your tastes, Dumbledore.” He started sarcastically, not having the need to get comfortable in such a place.

Dumbledore chuckled softly seeing how the young wizard was feeling so trapped already.

“There was a time young wizards like you would meet in here and discuss the problems that arose. Back then, it was also a hiding spot for many of our kind.” Dumbledore explained but it didn’t seem to impress the young wizard at all.

“Are you giving me a lecture? I know my history. Why are we meeting in the first place?”

Dumbledore’s whole behavior seemed to have fallen into seriousness and even his usual joyful blue eyes darkened.

“There are terrible times coming, Luce, terrible indeed. I need your help in order to avoid it happening.”

Luce Spinnard was a smart man but he hoped he wouldn’t have to speak about that again.

“What makes you so sure that something terrible will indeed come? What do you know, Dumbledore?” The blue eyed wizard asked suspiciously.

But the headmaster didn’t seem to register his question because he had something far more important to discuss at the moment.

“It would be best for you to resume your position as a professor.”

“For who? Me or that little offspring Gaunt?” Luce scowled angrily, his blue eyes becoming more prominent since he was boiling inside, “In case you have forgotten, I hate crowds and-“

“It would be best for you, Luce. If Tom has already reached his daughter then he has already seen you. He asked you for a favor before, he admired your legilimency and he will definitely approve your influence.”

“I am the best candidate, aren’t I?”

Dumbledore sighed, though not to make the angry man in front of him even angrier. There were so many things that he was keeping away from him but with the loyalty that Luce showed in the past for the dark arts and Tom, it was impossible to let him know.

“There are very few people in whom I can trust with Ophelia. Her mother did not want her to meet Tom, ever and even if I do not know the reasons, I trust her judgement.” Dumbledore explained as vaguely as possible.

“I’m not Peverell. I don’t care what Lillian wanted.” Spinnard said coldly, leaning back and folding his arms in front of his chest.

Dumbledore nodded, agreeing with the younger wizard. Spinnard was far from what Peverell used to be and even though the two were close friends during school, their friendship just vanished when they took different paths in life.

The atmosphere between the two was so tense that the bartender, Sage, chose the moment to bring their teas. As he left, Spinnard felt something move around his feet. It was a strange feeling so he quickly grabbed whatever was there and put it on the table. Maybe Spinnard wouldn’t have been so mad if it wasn’t for Dumbledore’s welcoming smile.

“What is this? Using one of your friends?”

Dumbledore’s smile only widened and eyes brightened once again.

“Not mine, yours. This black kitten has a familiar pair of blue eyes, doesn’t he?”

Urged by the elder, Spinnard looked closely at the black ball of fur. Something about the way they seemed to dance with mischievousness while at the same time look so strict was indeed familiar. Actually, he hasn’t seen that mix of emotions in a very long time and he wasn’t sure he’d like to see them again.

The kitten straightened his posture and tilted his head to the side, keeping those round eyes on the human. Spinnard felt his blood pressure rise as memories of his friend surfaced.

“He wasn’t an animagus.” Luce said confidently.

“He’s not an animagus but an old friend.” Dumbledore explained softly.

Spinnard’s eyes widened, still not believing how their conversation came to such a conclusion.

“I do not know how or when exactly it happened but this friend will help you recognize bits of Lillian in her daughter. I’m sure he agrees that you two working together will bring great results.” As Dumbledore said that, the kitten nodded vigorously, understand every word exchanged between the two humans.

Spinnard sighed heavily. He hated getting dragged into another’s affairs.

* * *

“Ophelia, honey, aunt Lucy is here!” Gloria Molley screamed upstairs.

Not long after, Ophelia was running down the stairs, jumping right in the awaiting arms of her aunt Lucille.

“I thought you’re coming next week!”

“I was but then I heard that you start school next week and won’t be back until Christmas.” Lucille answered, hugging tightly her favorite and only niece.

Since Lucy would often bring stuff over, either food or gifts she bought from antique stores abroad, Ophelia’s eyes took a long look around the living room. There was a box, elegant and maybe a bit fancy and she was curious if there was cake inside.

“Lucy! Glad you could come so fast,” Lucille’s brother, Richard, said as he walked inside the room. His eyes found the box just as quickly as his daughter and licked his lips.

“Come on. Let’s hide the cake before your father eats it all,” Lucy joked taking the box and going into the kitchen while her brother complained in the back.

* * *

“I’m telling you, this new case is amazing. We found this lady collapsed in her house with nothing missing. The doors and windows were closed from the inside and it doesn’t look like someone has been in there or picked the lock. But what was truly incredible was her corpse.” Richard started, his eyes widening at the memory, “Her eyes were wide open and she looks like she just fell dead. Doc Everstone is still in awe how such a healthy woman could simply die.”

“Dear, we’re having dinner now. Can you wait for-“

Gloria tried but Richard was very excited of his story.

“No one dies out of nowhere. People don’t just fall like rocks.” Lucy commented, laughing at her brother’s sudden expression. He was just like a child.

_But while her family was discussing, Ophelia felt dizzy. The voices around her became blurry and soon enough they sounded so far that she could barely hear them anymore. Instead, she found herself in the square, a while ago from the looks of it and the clothes people had. It must have been mid-day with how crowded it was. Ophelia looked around until her attention fell on a familiar face: Spinnard’s. He was younger and more relaxed than she knew him to be, at least that was how he looked. Following his line of sight, Ophelia noticed who he was staring at: a woman dressed in a long velvet dress taken from a century ago with a matching hat. They were looking at each other; she saw him yet didn’t move._   
_Suddenly, the image became dizzy and she heard many people scream at once. The image cleared up and she found herself closer. At her feet was lying the woman in velvet, her eyes wide open and still breathing._

_“It’s alright! I’m a doctor!”_

_Spinnard sneaked through the crowd and bent next to the woman. He hid his wand before taking from his pocket a small bottle with grey substance._

_“It’s alright. She will be well attended.” Spinnard mumbled as he forced the woman to drink the potion._

_Ophelia’s eyes widened while the woman’s closed. Whatever that potion was, it didn’t look like it killed her but it definitely helped. Once the crowd dispersed a bit, Spinnard drew his wand enough for the tip to show and whispered something. She couldn’t hear what he said but she noticed the bump the woman had and the way it became smaller while Spinnard was whispering._

“Ophelia? Are you alright?”

Ophelia blinked and she was back in the kitchen, having dinner with her parents and aunt. Lucille had her arm on Ophelia’s back, rubbing gently for some reason.

“You suddenly started to cough and for a moment it looked like you were suffocating.” Lucille added, watching her niece worriedly.

“It’s fine. It’s fine.” She repeated, having a strange taste in her mouth, “Where are mum and dad?”

Lucille chuckled before she pointed at the living room.

“Your father wants to do the dishes but your mum doesn’t trust him. I think they’re making up though. It takes them quite a lot to bring the cake.”

Ophelia chuckled yet still couldn’t shake off the sudden things she saw. It was as if she has been dragged inside her mind and shown details about Spinnard’s memories.

Of course, that happened before but she was asleep. For the past three months, Ophelia’s been having only dreams about Spinnard, her mum and a peculiar redhead man that seemed to like messing around.

After dinner, her parents decided they should have a more intense chat while Lucy had to leave. Ophelia found herself in her room, looking at Willy with melancholy.

“Do you think he’s out there, watching?” She asked her owl, “Do you know where he is?”

Willy didn’t move an inch.

“Can you find him?” She asked again, pulling her knees close to her chest, “I’d like to see him again. It doesn’t matter who he is.”

At that moment, it looked like the owl sighed. It strangely seemed like he wanted to do it, go and look after that man, after Tom but he wasn’t so sure that would help.

In the end, Ophelia fell asleep while waiting for Tom to reach out to her again.


	23. Intervention

Traffic in London was worse than Richard imagined. He was growing impatient with the londonese drivers.

“Calm down, we have 15 minutes to spare.” Gloria whispered to her husband.

Sitting in the backseat with Willy, Ophelia couldn’t help but watch the people rushing down the streets as if they were all late for supper. Now that she was aware, she could easily spot the wizards in the crowd. They had a different feel and different taste in clothing.

As a couple just passed by, Ophelia saw an elegant man wearing a top hat and leaning half of his weight on a cane. He met her eyes and smiled, his eyes tinkling with something unrecognizable. Ophelia tilted her head to the side, confused and intrigued what the reason was. The man raised his hat and nodded at her, his eyes mesmerizing her. It was him. It was the same man that showed her magic; the man that brought her to the only place she belonged.

It was Tom.

“Finally we’re moving!”

Richard’s annoyed voice drew her attention for a moment but that was enough for him to disappear in the crowd.

* * *

“Please, if your owl disappears again, ask your friends if they can lend you one of theirs. Last year was horrible! If it wasn’t for that kind man Spinnard we wouldn’t have known anything about you.” Gloria stated worriedly, her eyes begging her daughter to understand.

But something about that sentence triggered even more questions.

“What? Spinnard did?”

Gloria Molley nodded and smiled sadly at her daughter. She was ready to advise her about more things when the train honked loudly. It was time for the students to embark and there was no time for long goodbyes.

Richard helped her daughter carry her trunk on the train and quickly jumped off, unprepared for a journey with more than one wizard.

* * *

Looking for a compartment was easier than last year. She first met Frank Longbottom who was searching for his friend. Next, she saw a few Slytherins chatting loudly about dark magic and even complain that Spinnard’s lessons were useless. Ophelia couldn’t deny that; she’s had so many lessons with him and he never let her practice magic but just memorize.

Walking further, Ophelia had the misfortune to see Potter waiting patiently for someone to open the door for him. Unfortunately, he saw her too.

“Oi, Molley! What a pleasure!”

He came right at her and grabbed her arm, pulling her along towards another compartment.

She could barely register what was happening when he pushed her inside and closed the door. Afterwards, he helped her put her trunk away and sat across her with bright brown eyes. He looked sparkly.

“You’re suspicious.” She admitted bluntly.

Potter grinned boyishly and shrugged.

“Is your wife not here yet?”Ophelia asked with an eyebrow raised.

It took a few minutes for Potter to understand that she was joking. The sole thought that she could do it in the first place was mind-wavering.

“Was that a joke?”He asked, leaning towards her.

Ophelia sighed heavily seeing the widening smile forming on his face. She shouldn’t have been so friendly with him, not so early in the year.

“Wow Molley, you’ve changed. Did something good happen during summer?” He questioned, moving next to her yet still not very close since Willy’s cage was in between and that owl was glaring at him.

“No.” She answered quickly.

 “Too late. Why don’t you tell your friend James everything you did this summer?” He urged, or more like his eyes were urging her to tell him everything.

For a moment, the thought of telling him struck her mind but it vanished quickly. Potter was an outsider but telling him would mean revealing her weaknesses and that could be a huge mistake.

“I ate cake.” She answered in the end.

“Is that it?” Potter asked, getting a nod in return, “Are you sure? That’s not much.”

She shrugged but Potter didn’t seem convinced at all.

“What kind of cake was it?”

“Expensive chocolate cake.”

“Are you sure there was only chocolate in that cake? You look livelier.”

“Time spent away from Spinnard is heaven, that’s why.” She mumbled, not careful how that sounded.

It was the second time Ophelia joked and Potter had to pinch himself to make sure that he wasn’t imagining it.

“Will you try out for Quidditch this year?” She changed the subject.

“Of course! Charlie’s seen my amazing seeker skills last year. I’m sure I’ll make the team!” He exclaimed, his eyes sparkling at the thought, “You’re not that good at flying, are you? I’ve seen you last year and it was a disaster.”

She didn’t know how to retort to that so she said whatever came to mind first.

“Not as much of a disaster as you around girls.”

Potter’s eyes widened and sincerely, he could not believe whom he was sitting with in the compartment. His eyes traveled down her clothes before they moved up, to her head. She looked the same, more or less, maybe a bit taller and grown but overall, she was the same Ophelia.

“I think we should change your nickname soon. Sour Grape doesn’t fit you anymore, Molley.” He started in all seriousness possible. “I don’t know if I should wait for Sirius or just think about it myself,”

He started to ramble by himself, laying out all these strange nicknames that she wanted to forget. None seemed to be good enough because Ophelia was a spontaneous human being.

“Can you just leave? I’m sure Sirius is looking for you everywhere.”

“Not everywhere. He’s not here yet is he?” Potter combated, his eyes shining with amusement.

Right when he said that, the door opened and the dark haired Black set his eyes on his best friend.

“Mate, I have been searching for you everywhere! Even had a few small chats with the Slytherins hoping you’d apparate behind me!”

“That’s stupid. No one knows how to apparate at this age,” Said a voice that seemed to have been searching for Potter as well. Only, he wasn’t.

“Oh my, smart yet not so funny Snivelly. Shouldn’t you be with your classmates, torturing toads or something?”

Suddenly, Potter’s head rose to his friend, surprising everyone when he fully turned to Ophelia.

“You know Molley, you remind me of a badger. Every time I come to you or ask you something, when you turn to me I can clearly see the eyes of a badger staring back.”

That sudden revelation ended up confusing many people. While Potter decided he did enough and left with Sirius, still talking about badgers, Severus entered with his trunk and placed it near the door, almost as if he wanted to use it in order to block the door.

“So, what have you done this summer?” She asked, seeing how they were staring at each other awkwardly.

“Nothing. I read and met Lily when her good for nothing muggle sister was busy. She’d only screech at us, like a wounded owl.” Severus mumbled, getting annoyed only remembering just many times that happened in three months. “Have you met someone this summer?” The Slytherin asked.

Ophelia stared at him for a few minutes before she shook her head.

“My parents have been eagerly spending time with me since I am gone for most of the year. It’s been suffocating but that’s alright.” She answered nonchalantly.

“Yes, I know how that feels. My father’s been even worse than usually.” The Slytherin boy mumbled, frowning at the memory.”He’s been coming home late and would shout at anyone near him.”

Hearing the tone Severus was using while remembering his father was enough to remember the way Spinnard spoke about Tom. It might have not been as angry and hateful but even their expressions matched.

“Last year, we have been somehow dragged into Malfoy’s schemes with other families. The philosopher’s stone, have you read about it?” She asked, changing the subject completely.

Severus’s eyes widened, making him look like an owl caught by a muggle. He glanced around the compartment, his eyes setting on the door, before he changed seats and sat next to her.

“Malfoy is not the problem here. I had an unfortunate meeting during exams last year with Rodolphus Lestrange. He is the one that will cause trouble.” Severus whispered, leaning really close to his friend.

But Ophelia looked anything but worried about anyone with the name Malfoy or Lestrange.

“It’s fine. Why would he target us anyway? It’s not our fault.” She added.

“He’s targeting you in particular. He thinks that you gave them the fake stone and kept the real one for yourself.”

Snape’s eyes didn’t seem as worried for her safety as his words did, which Ophelia have grown accustomed with. Everything about Severus Snape was tricky and she liked that about him.

“I didn’t. I don’t know where it is but I’m sure Dumbledore does. He seems to know about things before they happen.” She informed him with wide bright eyes.

The brunette was rather small compared to other girls her age but her chubby built was slowly becoming more lean and mature. She was growing up but her eyes seemed to be the same. Indeed, they were green and elongated but if he were to look into her eyes, especially when she was excited, they were round and darker than usually.

“You know, Potter is right. You look like a badger.” He stated, leaning back and getting up to take something from his trunk.

Ophelia blinked, not expecting Severus to agree with anything that came out of Potter’s mouth.

* * *

The rest of the ride in the train was spent in silence. Severus was reading a book about magical creatures while Ophelia changed her seat and opted for the one next to the window. It was nice to see the sight passing by fast enough to admire it but not get bored of it.

Her mind was moving from the image of Tom she had met to the image of Tom she had seen in Spinnard’s memories. She couldn’t take her mind off Tom, anyway that led to. He was seen as someone respectable, someone to be admired, someone strong but maybe too strong. Ophelia’s eyes moved on Severus and she tilted her head to the side. If anyone could help her, that was someone with the same amount of slyness as Spinnard.

“Sev, what if one day you find out that you have been adopted? Do you go search for your real parents?” She started, taking him by surprise.

“I’m not adopted, unfortunately.” He mumbled venomously. Then, he remembered that Ophelia was and he remembered what Dumbledore told him before. “But if I was, I suppose I’d be curious who my real parents are and what they do.”

“My mother was murdered right in our house. I can’t remember anything else about that day except Dumbledore’s comforting hand.” She started.

“And your father?” Severus urged, curiosity getting the best of him.

“For a long time, I wasn’t interested who he was since he had never searched for me. But lately, I’ve been thinking about him a lot.”

Severus’ eyes widened, Dumbledore’s voice rising in his mind to a more strict and loud form.

“You shouldn’t. You don’t matter to him and he shouldn’t matter to you. Just like you said, he never came searching for you.” The boy added, feeling his mind ache with Dumbledore’s voice. It felt a lot like he was doing it at the moment, just to be sure Ophelia wouldn’t grow more curious.

The two children were looking at each other when Ophelia suddenly turned her head to the passing surroundings. It was getting dark already.

“What if he did?” She asked, so soft that Severus had to move closer to her.

“What?”

“What if he did search for me? What if he’s searching right now?” She repeated more firmly.

Severus’ eyes widened as his mind became blank and silent.

“He is my father after all. What if he wants to see me? And what if I want that too?” Ophelia continued, still not looking at anything but the view outside.

Severus couldn’t help but stare at her with no idea what to say. Those questions were far above his level of understanding and he was sure he should better not answer in haste.  

* * *

When the train arrived at Hogsmeade Station, there was one man waiting in the shadows, eyes trailing over every face. He couldn’t help but chuckle when he saw those green elongated eyes of his daughter, narrow at one boy in particular: a Black. He knew the Blacks, met them a few times and they had darkness in their roots. He could agree with such an influence, that until he noticed the colors on his robes.

“A Black in Gryffindor,” He whispered bemusedly, “How unfortunate.”

His eyes moved afterwards on the boy walking by Ophelia’s side. She seemed to like him better than Black. At least, his colors were a nice green and silver but still, he wasn’t content with her choices in people. He might have to intervene…


	24. Badge-Badger-Not Cool

As soon as they entered Hogwarts, Snape had to go sit at his table with his house mates while Ophelia remained close to Potter and Black, though it was obvious she disliked their lousiness.

“Look, badge, there’s something we need to talk about,” Potter started, wrapping an arm around Ophelia’s neck, literally squeezing her close to him.

“Badge? Is that supposed to come from badger? That’s not a good nickname, mate.” Black out-loudly judged Potter’s skill to name people.

But the brown haired boy dismissed his friend completely and continued with his very personal request.

“I need you to move from tonight on. This is my year. I’ll get in the team and I’ll sharpen my wits.” He said, biting his lip as a way to encourage himself, “So let’s change seats.” He stated, looking into her eyes.

Ophelia raised an eyebrow, a bit confused what changing their seats had to do with sharpening his wits, whatever that meant.

“Alright? Where am I supposed to stay then?”

“Between Peter and Remus, of course! I need Sirius close by so could you make Littlewood move too?”

Even though Ophelia agreed with whatever he was scheming, once they arrived at the Gryffindor table, Lily was sitting next to a girl that was in the Quidditch team, Amelia Bragnam that was playing Seeker at the moment, position Potter had vehemently claimed he could play better. On her other side, Lily had Cissney Littlewood and she looked very angry.

“Good luck making Cissney move,” Ophelia mumbled, patting him encouragingly.

Potter remained on his feet, confused and helpless as Ophelia sat in between Peter Pettigrew and Remus Lupin, just as they agreed in the Entrance Hall. Remus was first to turn to her and smile widely.

“How have you been, Ophelia? Had a good summer?”

Lovely and soft-looking, just like always. She really liked Remus out of everyone in her house because he was the one who didn’t keep secrets from others. He was plain and not very secretive but he was loyal to his house and his mates and that was all that mattered to her.

“Fine. Do you think Spinnard will force us to take extra lessons this year too?”

As soon as she asked, both turned to take a glance at the cold hearted children hater. Professor Spinnard was not happy to stand there, especially with Dumbledore close by. If anything, he would have liked to just leave and lock himself in his room until Monday morning. Even worse, his eyes flickered over the tables and over Ophelia and Remus. The two turned towards each other immediately and faked a conversation.

“So yes, how was your summer? Fine? Ha ha.” Remus laughed awkwardly, still feeling Spinnard’s intense gaze.

“Last year, he only forced me to memorize stuff but never once he let me try it. I was hoping we could meet after dinner, once or twice a week and practice DADA.” She started, having a sudden urge to learn more.

“Where does this idea come from? Will we even have time?” He whispered, leaning towards her. “I don’t think it’s a good idea.”

Ophelia only gazed at Spinnard before her eyes moved on Dumbledore. The headmaster smiled softly at the child, making something in her stir.

“I think it’s a great idea.” She mumbled, turning to her house mate with purpose in her eyes.

* * *

 As soon as the first years have been sorted and the Sorting Hat finished its song, the feast seemed to contain a lot of chocolate. Since his plan to stand next to Lily was failing miserably- Lily spending more time talking to Longbottom than Potter, which lessened his plans to sharpen his wits by half- he turned to Ophelia, who looked like she was enjoying herself way too much.

“See, badge. I told you, you should spend more quality time with Remus.” He started, making the two stare at him curiously. “What?” He asked before stuffing his face with a chicken leg.

Even Sirius was confused what was Potter thinking about. He wasn’t speaking much but by the end of the feast, he looked ready to implode if he wouldn’t say something.

“So, Evans. How was your summer?” He asked, in the end.

Almost half of the table turned to watch and even more was already betting on how he will fail and embarrass himself or Lily for that matter.

Lily. That was a whole different story. She wasn’t a friend but only an acquaintance of Potter’s, forced by circumstances to cordially speak to him from time to time. He didn’t see it like that; but again, Potter couldn’t see a lot of things when it came to girls.

“I visited my grand-parents, if you’re so interested.” The redhead answered, more or less.

Potter chuckled awkwardly and nodded before looking down at his plate. It was filled with tarts and chocolate cake so, out of stupidity or too much wit, he grabbed his wand and pointed it at a piece of cake.

“Wingardium Leviosa,” He whispered, the cake actually rising in the air. 

Everyone at the table watched intensely, even Dumbledore from what Ophelia caught from the side. The cake was levitating well towards Lily’s plate until it got in front of her and, surprising everyone, exploded. Chocolate covered her whole upper part, especially her face. Everyone started to laugh, even people from other tables.

“Was that funny to you, Potter?” She said as softly as possible. She looked like she was going to cry from being embarrassed in front of the whole school. From the first night back.

“What’s wrong with you Potter?!” Both Littlewood and Bragnam hissed at the poor boy who looked like a deer caught in the headlight.

“I-I didn’t mean to! It was going really well!” He defended himself and from the looks of it, Ophelia believed him and so did Remus.

“Do you think someone played a joke on him?” The brown eyed boy asked, silently inspecting the Hall.

The subject was Lily so out of reflex, her eyes wandered to the Slytherin table; Severus Snape, to be more exact. He was looking down but she could see the ghost of a smirk on his face. Ophelia sighed and turned her attention on Potter. The unknown feud between the two admirers was still in the beginning but for some reason, she was looking forward to how it will evolve.

* * *

As soon as it all finished and Dumbledore finished his usual speech, the Great Hall emptied faster than expected. The students were happy to be back and even happier to get to spend more time in the corridors or the common rooms.

“I can’t believe it exploded in her face! What in Merlin’s beard happened?” He exclaimed, assured that Lily left early and was probably bad-mouthing him with Littlewood. “It was going so well, too,”

“No, it wasn’t. It was awful.” Alice interfered, being one of the few girls that didn’t jump at Potter’s throat on the way.

“So much for sharpening your wits,” Ophelia started bemusedly, her eyes glinting mischievously.

Potter seemed to be the only one not surprised that she was talking to him without having homework as a subject. Sirius raised an eyebrow, intrigued what exactly happened between her and his best friend. It wasn’t every day he’d find James with the subject of their jokes.

Seeing the awkward expression on his friend’s face, Potter shrugged it off with,

“We bonded during the train ride. We’re now friends.”

But Ophelia scoffed and that was enough for everyone to know nothing has changed.


	25. A Series of Unfortunate Events

“That boy is such a twat! How could he play a joke on you right from the first night?”

That was only one of the few waves of complaints that Ophelia faced when she opened the door to her room. The girls chose their usual beds and brought even more stuff to place around, especially Cissney.

“It didn’t seem like he did it intentionally.” Alice reasoned, seeing how much it affected Potter afterwards.

“Then why did he levitate that piece of cake, hm?”

No one knew, not even the culprit. Ophelia couldn’t help but chuckle under her hand, though. It was funny how his plan backfired to the point Cissney would never let him sit next to Lily, or anywhere close.

Luckily, the subject changed to better and happier chats about each other’s families and summer breaks.   

“I swear to you, muggles have these crazy theater pieces where they use puppets!” Cissney explained, her wide eyes glistening with curiosity, “Afterwards, my mum took me and my brother to see a fat lady singing on an improvised stage. It was incredibly well done compared to how it looked.”

“It’s called opera. My mum likes it too.” Ophelia added, “I have never heard music from wizards. Is it the same? Do they sing about the same things?”

“Of course! Love is one of the best subjects to approach in any type of music. Here,” Cissney got off bed and searched for something through her trunk. When she finally found it, she brought it on Ophelia’s bed and turned it on with her wand.

“This is a radio,” Lily mumbled, surprised that it looked pretty much the same as a muggle’s radio.

“It’s actually called wireless. This program right now it’s called Witching Hour and,” Cissney turned up the volume, the song recently played filling the dormitory, “This singer is Celestina Warbeck. My mum and grandma knows her so she’s been around for a while.”

Alice and Lily rolled their eyes but Ophelia leaned closer and listened to Celestina’s voice.

_“Mommy, what’s this?” The little girl asked, pointing at the small object on the fireplace._

_“It’s my favorite singer, Celestina Warbeck. When I was at school, your father would turn the wireless on and let me listen to it until I’d fall asleep. Even back then, he would protect his interests very well.” Lillian told her daughter, “Your father, he’s a peculiar man, Ophelia. He won’t look at you but he will search for your gifts and exploit them until you will be left with nothing. You’ll have to return to him again and again because without an aim in life, he’s the only one that can fill that emptiness.” Lillian added staring at the fire burning, her green eyes looking like two crystals._

When Ophelia looked up, the girls were laughing about something while the program changed and a different voice was informing the witches and wizards of a troll patrol forming in Wales.

* * *

It was long past midnight when Ophelia rolled on her side, not able to sleep. She sighed heavily before she rolled on her other side and covered her head with the pillow. She groaned when nothing worked and a few minutes later, she tip toed out of the dormitory and down into the common room. Surprisingly enough, there was a black kitten standing in the middle of the room, staring at something above the fireplace.

“Hello,”

The kitten turned his head and glanced at her before he turned his attention back on the fireplace. Ophelia blinked, surprised how a kitten sneaked inside the common room.

“Are you someone’s cat?” Ophelia asked, walking next to it.

She tried to find the reason why the kitten was so focused on the fireplace but there was nothing out of ordinary. The brunette leaned forward and scanned every picture placed both in front and in the back. There was one with three people, one in particular looking very familiar. Then she understood as she pulled it from in the far back and looked at it.

“Mum?” She whispered, not ready to see her mother’s face.

But there she was, Lillian, with long red hair and sparkling green eyes. She was smiling next to a boy with even brighter red hair and dimples. He was handsome and it looked like they were very close. Ophelia turned the picture around and read the inscription.

“I’ll always protect you so be sure to help me pass Transfiguration,” Ophelia chuckled before she turned it around so she could take another look at her mother.

_“Your father is a peculiar man, Ophelia.”_

If Tom was indeed her father, then what was their relationship during school? It looked like Lillian was closer to her house mate rather than her boyfriend. It was so complicated.

Morning found Ophelia sleeping on the armchair. The sunlight coming through the windows was not enough to wake her up but once Potter woke up, everyone did.

“How can you be so loud so early in the morning?” Ophelia whined, jolting from her seat so fast that Potter almost fell backwards in surprise.

“What in Merlin’s beard are you doing here? Have you slept here?” He asked, his eyes widening behind those round glasses.

Ophelia scoffed before she got up and walked up the stairs to her dormitory.

“Wait! Wait~” If he thought he was whispering, he wasn’t. “Is Evans still mad about last night?”

Ophelia scoffed again before she closed the door and prepared for the first day of school.

* * *

“So, had a good night, badge?” Potter asked as soon as he sat down next to her, “I’m sure you must have had such a great time sleeping on that armchair. Was it a nightmare that kept you up?”

It was annoying and hearing him talk while at the same time eating was even worse. He almost spat some toast on her plate while asking and asking and asking.

“Why did you sleep on the armchair? Did you really have a nightmare?” Remus asked once Sirius came down for breakfast.

Potter was so involved into explaining to his friend what idea came over him during the summer break that he almost spat again over her plate.

“Yes. Well, not exactly. I found a kitten in the common room.” She explained, glancing at her plate before pushing it slowly away.

“A kitten? Is it a first year’s?”

Ophelia shrugged, not curious about that part of news. As soon as he dressed in her robes that morning, she hid her mother’s picture in the pocket and hoped she’d get a chance to ask Spinnard about it.

* * *

“There has to be a mistake!”

“There’s no mistake, Potter. Now, take your timetable and follow your classmates to the dungeons.” Professor McGonagall said firmly, her eyes staring down at the messy haired boy.

Ever since they got their timetables, the Great Hall was engulfed in complaints. The reason was really simple: they had DADA every Monday and Friday which was literally eating up their weekend.

“But professor, we’ll have enough homework as it is and there’s Quidditch too! Professor Spinnard will bury us in homework and we’ll have no weekend!” Potter continued, being just as lousy as ever.

“Be sure I will, Potter.” Spinnard’s cold voice silenced the Gryffindor immediately, “I’m sure the whole castle knows how unfair you feel by now. I assure you, every one of you, that you will respect the deadlines or else you will suffer consequences.” Spinnard added, his blue eyes falling over every second year, especially Ophelia. Seeing her there, as if nothing was happening in the shadows, was annoying. The professor sneered before he walked right through the middle of the crowd and left the Great Hall.

“Well, good luck. Go now! You have classes!” McGonagall broke the silence, sensing the intense hatred rising between her students and the young professor.

“But professor~” Black whined while watching McGonagall usher some of them towards the door.

“Now, Mr. Black, Mr. Potter, I know professor Spinnard is a great instructor in defence against the dark arts. You better follow his advice.” She said before she too left her students adrift.

Half of the Gryffindors were grumpily walking out with their timetables held tightly, almost as if squeezing them would hurt Spinnard. Potter and Black stayed back, both having the same look of desperation, knowing that Spinnard was more of a memorize the lesson professor than actually using the information actively.

“You shouldn’t look so pitiful already. It’s just the first Monday of a series of unfortunate beginnings and endings of the week. I’m sure Spinnard will do everything he can to make us uncomfortable. He hates people, moreover children.” Ophelia spoke nonchalantly, as if her words didn’t cut deep in their hopeful hearts.


	26. Sudden Joy

First Monday and their schedule was not at all what they expected. They had Potions and Herbology in the morning and DADA in the afternoon. For most students it was comfortable because Slughorn and Sprout were seen as nice professors. But there was Spinnard right after lunch and that itself disheartened the whole year.

Even worse, Potions was done with Slytherins and Ophelia felt Severus glare every time Potter tried to copy Lily’s movements, hoping he’ll impress her as well as succeed his potion.

“Better concentrate on our potion or I’ll do it all.” Ophelia whispered, worried that may be the case.

“Look at him,” The boy snarled, “He’s being so childish when she’s obviously ignoring him.” The dark haired Slytherin added, his eyes narrowing at Potter with every ounce of hatred he could muster.

“You should have asked her to be your partner then.” Ophelia mumbled, her eyes re-reading the instructions to make the Swelling Potion, “How much do I have to cut this?” She asked herself since Severus definitely wasn’t going to save her.

“I wanted to but that girl Littlewood, she started to glare at me before I took a step towards Lily. She emotionally blackmailed her into partnering up.” Severus added grumpily before finally turning to look at his actual partner.

Ophelia raised her head, throwing a look of skepticism.

“I’m sure that was the reason.” She mumbled, “You have enough time to spend with her. It’s only the second year, Sev.”

“I know. What about you?”

“What about me?” She asked, returning her attention on the Swelling Potion. It didn’t look good.

“You know, Malfoy and Lestrange,” He whispered those names as if they were the death curses, “Have you seen them in the Great Hall or other places?”

“Truthfully, I didn’t look.”

Severus rolled his eyes and stopped her from adding an unnecessary ingredient into the cauldron.

“How can you be so calm about it? Their families are renowned for being dark wizards.”

“Why are you anxious? You said yourself, if they come, they come after me not you.”

She was being so nonchalant about it that it truly amazed Severus. There he was, caring about her because he dragged her into his own issues yet she was ignoring every alarm sent towards her.

“What are you doing?”Severus asked when he saw her swirl clockwise when they had to do it counter clockwise. It proved to be quite important because it started to grow until it spilled out.

“Oh my, what’s happening there?” Slughorn asked, hurrying over in case something bad would happen.

“Sorry, professor,” Ophelia apologized.

“Ah, Molley. I should have expected you to be behind this.”

It sounded extremely offending in Severus’ point of view but Ophelia didn’t look bothered at all.

* * *

Unfortunately, they had Herbology with Ravenclaws which meant Ophelia had to partner up with someone. She barely entered the greenroom when someone pulled her to a group.

“Um, no thanks.” She mumbled as she turned around with the intention to leave them.

“Come on, badge. We have to support each other in times of needs.” Potter reasoned, making no sense.

“Whose times of needs? I don’t need any help.” She retorted, not yet annoyed with the glasses boy but getting there slowly.

“You know, this and that. Help me out here, mate,” He whispered and nudged Black, who was watching them bemusedly.

“Potions is always fun knowing we have something to look forward to.”

His answer only pushed her towards leaving rather than staying. Potter scoffed and quickly pulled her closer when he saw her turn towards a team of Ravenclaws.

“We can help you with Slytherins. Or anyone, just name it.”The brown haired boy said quickly throwing a firm glance at his best friend.

“I don’t need help with Slytherins.”

Black’s eyes widened at her ignorance.

“Have you seen Malfoy? He practically drew holes into the back of your head yesterday at dinner.”

Ophelia tensed, having heard about the blond before yet not taking it seriously.

“Really,”

“Everyone could see it, except you of course. He wasn’t hiding it either. I think Malfoy was pretty clear but it seems his message didn’t reach you.” Black leaned in slightly before continuing, “I don’t know what you did, **badge** , but Malfoy’s seriously pissed with you.” 

“Should I be worried?” She asked the boys, finally registering the danger lurking around her.

“Not if you help us,” Black answered smugly, high fiving Potter behind their backs.

* * *

But nothing really happened. Herbology passed with Potter whining over something or another and Ravenclaws scoffing at him. Lunch was peaceful too but because of the news about Malfoy’s anger, she became aware that someone was indeed watching her.

When she turned around, she didn’t see any glimpse of the Slytherin table. Someone stopped right behind her and blocked everything with his imposing figure. Ophelia looked up and met the cold blue eyes of professor Spinnard.

“Come with me, Molley.”

“But-“

He only raised an eyebrow –that was literally the only movement- but she got the point and got up, following him silently.

"Maybe we should have offered help with Spinnard not Malfoy.” Potter whispered to his friend.

But it wasn’t low enough and Spinnard heard the Gryffindor perfectly. It was interesting information and he was going to dig deeper into the issues Malfoy had at Hogwarts. He was the son of an influent family and with friends like Lestrange or Avery, it was definitely something about dark magic.

Being curious every so often, Spinnard glanced at the Slytherin table, seeing Malfoy speaking to someone calmly. A few seats up the table was Rabastan Lestrange and he barely had time to move his head before he’d get caught. Glancing at her over his shoulder, Spinnard realized that Ophelia didn’t even notice.

“Is there something wrong, professor?” She asked as soon as they walked out the doors.

“Yes. Be silent.”

Spinnard had a lot to think about and having Tom’s offspring running around the castle was not helpful at all. Instead of becoming more like her father and have few friends, she seemed to grow friendlier and friendlier.

The way to his office had never felt so long before. When he opened the door and waited for her to enter, he felt like he could finally breathe out.

“Congratulation, Molley. You’ll learn Occlumency one year earlier than your classmates.” He announced, not an glint of happiness in his voice or on his face.

“Occlumency? Reading minds?” She suddenly became very excited. It was the best news ever since she arrived at Hogwarts.

“No. Occlumency is the art of guarding your mind.” He explained while walking to his desk. He took a seat and swayed his wand towards the window, opening it enough for a brown owl to fly in, “This is your partner.”

Ophelia stared questioningly at the owl, confused if that was Willy or another one. Granted to his quick perceptive abilities, Spinnard could sense what she was thinking without having to read her mind.

“This is not your owl. In case you haven’t noticed, this one has two white stripes on each wing.” Spinnard scoffed, making her feel stupid for not noticing. The owl spread his wings and showed exactly how different he was.

“From where I stand, he does look similar.” Ophelia persisted, having her own point of view.

Spinnard rolled his eyes before he nodded at the owl. Something amazing happened afterwards. The owl stretched to the point he looked like he was going to split in two but instead, he took the form of a man. He didn’t look old but it was obvious he was around Spinnard’s age, maybe younger. Actually, his features seemed a bit familiar; she was sure she had seen this new man somewhere before.

“Nice to meet you, Ophelia,” The owl man started with a soft smile.

“Is he a friend of yours?” She asked, moving her eyes on Spinnard. Both men shook their heads as if that was horrendous.    

“I was actually a classmate of your mother’s.” The owl man explained.

Then Ophelia remembered why she had the feeling she had seen him before.

“The picture! You were slightly out of it but did appear in it! It was taken in the common room with Lillian and the redhead!” Ophelia exclaimed, not yet disclosing that she took that picture away.

His brown eyes widened and she swore he looked just like his owl form.

“My name is Cerberus Knowingall and I was in the same team as Peverell.”

The new name didn’t seem to trigger anything in her mind which confused Cerberus.

“You don’t know Peverell.” He stated, a bit disappointed, “Peverell was a close friend of your mother’s. He was also a very close friend of Luce’s.”

_“Now that your loyal puppy is here, I should be going.”_

Thinking about that memory, she could only wonder if Peverell was the loyal puppy Tom was talking about.

“And you?” She asked turning her attention on the man with real answers.

“Well, Peverell was the captain of the Gryffindor Quidditch team back then. Wait, I’ve still got our group picture!” Cerberus laughed loudly before he took something from his back pocket. It looked like that picture has been through a lot but it didn’t matter, “Here we are. We won the House Cup that year against Hufflepuffs. We were lucky Slytherins had a bad year altogether. Here: the redhead with dimples is Peverell. In the front row, standing on their knees are Quincy Jones and Margie Oliveson- Beater and Chaser; then there’s Olaf Wood who played Chaser . Peverell played Chaser too. I was the Keeper, here in the back. Ronnie McDonald played Seeker, he was really good.”

“Why is my mum in the picture too?” Ophelia asked once she realized who was Peverell squeezing in his arms.

“Our original Beater was poisoned during Herbology and we needed someone to fill in. Lillian was in an angry state so Quidditch helped her cope with it.”

“So mum played Quidditch?” 

“Only that year, yes. Afterwards we got some amazing new years and eventually got another Beater. Most of us were already in our 5th year and had O.W.Ls and N.E.W.Ts to prepare for so the team broke right before the exam period.” Cerberus explained, looking at the picture with melancholy.

“Was mum good at flying?”

Cerberus put the picture away and chuckled.

“You’ll have to find that out by entering my mind. Of course, we’ll take it slowly at first and I will just help you push intruders out of your mind but later on, I’ll teach you Legilimency and-“

“No. You won’t.” Spinnard interfered, getting up with a glare at his former colleague, “You only teach her what you are supposed to. Nothing more and nothing less.”

Cerberus waited for Spinnard to grab his book and leave the room in order to prepare for his DADA lesson. Only when they were alone did the older man scoff at the cold hearted professor.

“I can’t wait for you to see the Spinnard from my memories. You’ll be surprised how much he liked to stay around the fun guys.” He mumbled, his eyes glinting mischievously.


	27. Mindblown

DADA felt a lot better with the brown owl watching from his spot next to the window. Spinnard glanced a few times at him, rolling his eyes every time the owl would make a noise as if he was laughing.

As soon as class was over, Potter got ready to discuss their arrangement again. Unfortunately, Slughorn caught them right before they entered the Great Hall and asked Ophelia to stay back a bit.

“Extra classes again?” She whined, having a look of desperation.

“In my whole life as a potion master, I haven’t seen such a lack of equal distribution between attention and practice. You need to memorize the information beforehand or else you won’t be able to pass the first semester. Thankfully, Rabastan agreed to help you once more. Very nice student, I’m telling you. His name doesn’t do him justice.”

* * *

“Are yous serious?! Extra Potions with a Slytherin?” Cissney was as shocked of the news as she was when she first heard that Rabastan existed.

“He volunteered. He probably believes that I am a charity case.”

“You are,” Cissney mumbled and everyone agreed, “I have never seen someone so bad at Potions and my father works as a Potion Master assistant.”

“It’s because she doesn’t take it seriously.” Said a voice coming from behind Ophelia. She jolted in her seat as she felt Severus levitate something in her robes’ pocket, the same one she put the picture of her mother.

That grabbed the attention of the whole group, especially Potter and Black. They turned to Severus faster than blinking, both wearing a sneer at the Slytherin.

“And what do we owe this pleasurable visit, Snivelly?” Potter started, getting a glare instantly from Lily.

Put in the center of attention, Severus’ eyes widened as he started to fidget nervously. He wasn’t good at speaking in front of lousy people who could backfire whatever he says.

“Um, I wanted to talk to Lily.”

“Well, maybe she’s busy.” Potter insisted but it was obvious she wasn’t.

Sighing heavily, Lily got up and threw one last glare at Potter before she followed Severus into the Entrance Hall.

“That was inadequate for a 12 years old.” Ophelia commented before she searched for the piece of parchment thrown into her pocket. It was there, folded neatly just as the person that wrote it.

“I know right? How can a 12 years old just come to the Gryffindor table and ask to speak to a girl. _A girl_!” Potter continued, his eyes widening behind those round glasses.

Ophelia’s head snapped towards him, still keeping her hand in her pocket.

“Oh, I was talking about you.” She said, looking innocently at her housemate.

* * *

“First time is always hard but I assure you it will get better. It’s important to know that an experimented legilimens is able to enter your mind without you feeling anything.”

That was the speech Cerberus started the Occlumency lesson with. It was so sudden, both the hour and the meeting. It was only Wednesday.

“I thought we’ll have the lesson during the weekend.” Ophelia added before anything else, rubbing her eyes sleepily after two hours of History of Magic.

“I heard that weekends need to be free for you to do your DADA homework and live a tad. I’m sure Luce gave you a lot to memorize.”

Her groan was enough for an answer. Cerberus chuckled and took a few steps back before drawing out his wand.

“Legilimens,” The owl man whispered as his eyes narrowed slightly.

Ophelia wasn’t ready for the sudden attack on her mind. Her head was swirling with memories that were either confusing or from an hour ago. It was difficult to know which corners Cerberus would shake and what memories he’ll draw into the light, but she didn’t care about that at the moment. The pain was incredible. It was like a headache but a million times worse.

The first memory that Cerberus focused on was Aviemore. Flashes of the trip appeared clearly in her mind; when she went inside the forest and when she got scared by a dark cloaked figure. The pain intensified as the images became blurry and she screamed.

“Alright, alright. That was tough, right from the start.” Cerberus mumbled, doing his best not to look surprised. “It seems there are a lot of memories you had buried but believe me, if you want them to remain personal, you have to block me out.”

“It’s not as easy as it sounds. I can’t concentrate on both the memories and you.” She moaned, her head still hurting. It was like her brain was buzzing nonstop.

“Again. Legilimens!”

The ache was just as bad as before but she tried to focus on one thing at time. Cerberus was more important than anything else at the moment so she searched for him. It wasn’t easy as the man went deeper, reaching a corner of her mind where Peverell was hidden.

There was something else hidden in there as Cerberus dug further. When he reached the day when Lillian died, he felt his own mind vibrate. He stirred something, might have been her desire to block him out or just an intense wave of emotions, but it pushed Cerberus out with so much power that he literally fell back.

The tutor was in pain, that much was obvious. The student, on the other side, seemed speechless.

“O-Ophelia? Are you alright? I might have gone a bit too strong and-“ He stopped seeing how she wasn’t even looking at him.

That stir felt stronger in her mind and went out into her whole body, making her remember the fear she felt on that day. Her mother was murdered and Dumbledore came a few hours later but something was missing. As Lillian’s face was getting clearer, so was something else.

For a fraction of second, she looked up at Cerberus and saw someone else. He wore a cloak over his head so she couldn’t see much of his face but she could hear him; it was just like a snake hissing after his prey.

She blinked, and the image vanished. She could only see Cerberus, rubbing his back while staring at her in worry.

“It’s hard,” The girl mumbled.

“Back in the day, a lot of students would sign up for Occlumency and Legilimency lessons but only a few could actually finish them.At some point, I think Dumbledore taught it.”

Ophelia’s eyes furrowed, the ache in her mind still present.

“Dumbledore?”

Cerberus nodded, a smile forming on his lips as he remembered those times. He walked closer to his pupil and invited her to sit before he too fell on a chair feeling tired.

“Luce was very good at it, from the first lesson. Peverell was not as enthusiastic about it but circumstances forced him. But Gryffindors weren’t the only ones interested and so students from every house would gather in the Great Hall and suffer together.” He joked yet from the look in his eyes there might have been more truth in his words than he wanted to admit.

“And mum?”

“Lillian never took those lessons. She didn’t seem interested.”

“What was she interested in?” Ophelia asked curiously.

Cerberus rubbed his back again, thinking carefully about his house mate.

“It was obvious what she wasn’t good at, which was everything about nature. It did look like Slughorn liked her so she was probably good at Potions.” He answered, getting a loud snort in return, “I guess you didn’t inherit that side of her, did you?”

“Not at all,” Ophelia mumbled before she remembered the picture from the common room, “What about Transfiguration?”

“Now that you mention it, yes. She was doing well overall so it didn’t catch my eye back then. Peverell was always asking her to help him with Transfiguration but I never understood why. He was better at it than her.”

“You watched them a lot but you know more about your captain than mum.”

Cerberus shrugged innocently.

“Quidditch was, and still is, important. I didn’t speak much to Lillian until our fifth year. You seem friendlier than she was.”

“I doubt that,”

* * *

It was the second time in a week when Ophelia couldn’t close one eye. They had Potions again in the morning and she had to ask professor Slughorn when Rabastan wanted to tutor her. She hoped he changed his mind, truthfully.

“Ugh,” She groaned, finally getting up and sneaking out into the common room. “Is it the food?” She mumbled while rubbing her stomach worriedly. But it was not coming from there but from her head.

The common room was silent and dark. No one was awake so late at night, not with Spinnard’s lesson coming up on Friday. The black kitten wasn’t there either and she didn’t have her wand with her.

“Great,” She sighed, barely missing the armchair.

Ophelia was sitting there, her legs spread lazily as her eyes were staring at the fireplace. She bit her lip and remembered the sparks that used to appear now and then. It’s been a while since she last played with them and grew a bit worried when she realized she couldn’t make them appear anymore as she pleased. The sparks were usually blue but on the night of Lillian’s death, she saw a green light. 

_“How did you find me?” Lillian asked in a very thick Scottish accent._

_“I see you have been very busy, Lillian. This house has every possible protection around it.” The man said, looking at the walls before turning his attention on her. “Very impressive, I must say.”_

_“How did you find me, -? The Charm-“_

_“Your little friend, the Peverell, he told me where you are. You didn’t choose your Secret Keeper wisely,” He responded, his eyes narrowing at the woman._

_“What have you done with Vernon?” She changed the subject._

_“He might be still alive. Now-“_

_“Go back inside, Ophelia! This man-this man-“_

Ophelia jolted from her seat, her hand unconsciously going to her heart. She didn’t know what came over her but those pieces just came onto her, overwhelming her with fear. But it wasn’t enough; some parts were missing and some were muted.

The green eyed girl looked up at the fireplace only to notice a small flame, barely lit enough to draw attention. She got up and walked towards it, mesmerized because that small flame was green. She reached out but it didn’t burn her; instead it crawled up her arm and into her head. Her eyes widened as she felt something new enter her, something dark yet at the same time illuminating. Ophelia screamed as the pain grew worse than anything she had felt before.

And then she opened her eyes. She opened her eyes and straightened up, noticing that she was in bed, in the dormitory. The witch frowned, shocked and confused if what happened was just a dream or not.


	28. Rumour Has It

Thursday passed with nothing interesting happening. It was rather peaceful compared to how much of a fuss Severus made. Friday came around and during Potions, Ophelia let her partner do most of the work while she stared shamelessly at her professor.

Slughorn felt her intense gaze from the moment she entered the classroom. He knew what it was about but he didn’t want to speak about it. Ophelia was not even close to the last of his favorites but something about her was making him tremble.

“Is there something wrong, Molley?” He asked, a fake smile plastered on his face.

Ophelia nodded, surprising Slughorn with how upward she was.

“About my tutor, I haven’t had the chance to arrange anything with him. I thought he might have told you when and where we should meet?” She asked, making sure that her fellow classmates won’t hear but Severus will.

“I suppose the weekend? He is a busy student, he may not have enough time yet.”

Severus rolled his eyes but Slughorn didn’t even notice him. Ophelia’s eyes were so familiar yet Slughorn couldn’t understand why.

“If you don’t want to fail class, you better listen to that tutor of yours instead of daydreaming,” Severus mumbled once Slughorn left their table, “It’s Lestrange that’s tutoring you, you should take the chance and ask him about his older brother.” The greasy haired boy added.

Ophelia threw her friend a skeptical look from the side and scoffed, unconsciously adding an unnecessary ingredient into the cauldron, changing its color. Severus’s chin tightened as he grasped the edge of the desk in annoyance. She could be a handful on more than one occasion.

* * *

Unfortunately, just before dinner, a bulky and seemingly bothered Rabastan Lestrange entered the Great Hall, his eyes searching for one dark haired girl. Once he found her, his eyes narrowed as he walked towards her.

“Um- you may be in danger, Pheli,” Cissney mumbled, noticing the Slytherin stare at their table, “Big trouble is coming towards you.” She added, looking down at her plate when the boy reached them.

Ophelia turned around in time to see the Slytherin glowering at her, making Lupin who was standing next to her shift in his seat uncomfortably.

“Every Saturday afternoon, in the Potions classroom. Don’t be late.” Rabastan announced grumpily before turning around and going towards his table.

Ophelia watched the bulky boy curiously until he sat next to one of his housemates. A few seats down from him was the blond that was giving Severus a hard time. Malfoy was throwing glances at Rabastan, glances that looked too pleased to mean well.

“Will you be alright? He seems a bit uptight.” Lupin whispered, his eyes too following Rabastan as he sat and ate with a stiff expression.

Ophelia couldn’t take her eyes off Malfoy, making it obvious that she was staring at him. A housemate must have told him about it because Malfoy’s head turned towards the Gryffindor table with a scowl.

* * *

Nothing else happened, except the usual Potter-Black duo which became louder than before.

“You two have become like two peas in a pot.” Alice commented in the Common Room.

“If only you would shut up and let us do our homework, everything would be better.” Cissney added, throwing an annoyed look at Black. It didn’t seem to reach him- nothing did.

Lupin chuckled before he turned to the brunette that was trying to memorize the Potions lesson for her tutoring lesson tomorrow.

“Are you sure you will be alright tomorrow? He seems a bit different from last year.”

“Rabastan is the least of my worries at the moment.” Ophelia mumbled, reading Severus’ notes. She grabbed a piece of parchment and copied them down several times before sighing heavily.

* * *

When the students entered that Friday in the DADA classroom, they found it empty. For the first time ever, Luce Spinnard was late and that sole detail made the class whisper in between.

"Do you think he got sacked for messing with his students?" Frank asked when ten minutes passed and the cold professor was still missing.  
  
"I think you're dreaming too high. There's a rumor that Dumbledore insisted that Spinnard comes back and teaches at Hogwarts." Black answered nonchalantly, his eyes wandering from the mates close to him to the ones in front.  
  
Ophelia was sitting at her desk, looking down at her hands in what a stranger would say was disappointment. But once she raised her head enough for her face to show, Black knew she was in a state of happiness.  
  
"Maybe we can take the evening off and do something productive," Potter mumbled, grumpy that after such a long day he had to wait instead of resting.  
  
"I dare you say that again, Potter."  
  
The icy tone sent a chill all through the classroom. Students straightened up in their seats and some moved from their friends and sat as far in the back as possible.  
  
"I'm sorry professor but you are late and-" Potter's eyes widened when Spinnard threw him a glare. It was different from other times as if his control cracked and wanted nothing more than to skin his students alive.  
  
Passing Ophelia's desk, he threw something in her lap. It was incredibly subtle as nobody even imagined he would pass her a note. Reading it slowly, Ophelia had to stare for a bit at the handwriting. The note was written by someone with a certain elegance; definitely not Spinnard whose writing was more messy than elegant.  
  
 _Do not be afraid to ask for my help._ She read with a frown. What was that supposed to mean? Was it from Dumbledore or maybe...  
  
It was one of the few lessons when Spinnard forgot he had Ophelia in the class. He taught like he had rehearsed the lesson over the past weeks and didn't say anything even if he noticed the notes going from Potter to different students.  
  
When his eyes fell over Ophelia, he saw her writing silently while taking quick glances at the note he gave her. He sighed heavily, feeling like a puppet thrown from one man to the other. He was confused why Dumbledore had Cerberus write something so silly.

_A seemingly angry Luce hurried up the stairs towards the headmaster's office, checking his watch every five minutes because really, he hated to be late even if that meant seeing Potter's face grinning during his lesson._

_"What is it so alarming that I have to witness?" Spinnard yelled as soon as he entered._

_Cerberus was there as well and he looked even more confused than Luce. Dumbledore sighed, which was never a good sign before a conversation, and he rose, walking around his desk towards Cerberus. The headmaster gave him a piece of parchment and forced a polite smile._

_"I would like you to write down a few words. It is very important at the moment to make it as elegant as possible." Dumbledore told Cerberus before he took the rest of the steps towards Luce, "I'm afraid there is a spy amongst the students. I have been informed that Mr. Malfoy and Mr. Lestrange have been incredibly angry that the philosopher stone they have gotten is not the real one."_

_"And why should that bother us? They have nothing but large mouths, good to bark but not bite." Spinnard stated coldly, only remembering Lestrange's face and growing annoyed._

_"Not them," Dumbledore whispered, his blue eyes sparkling from under his spectacles. Luce raised a eyebrow, curious what else there was that Dumbledore was not telling him._

So, from that brief intense look, Spinnard could guess it had something to do with Ophelia and her connection to her father. It didn't look like she was aware how important were the details she had caught glimpse of in his memories but he was adamant that she figured out enough to search for Tom by herself.

* * *

"I cannot believe he came late and talked for the whole remaining time like a broken record. I don't know if I should be content or angry," Potter started, lightly leaning against Sirius who looked like his soul has been gone and recently returned in his body.

"I cannot believe he still gave us homework. A mountain of it for Monday~" Sirius added, also leaning slightly against his friend.

By the time they arrived at their table, Cissney was first to take the seat next to Lily while Alice grabbed the other side, making Potter stand on his feet for a few minutes, thinking what he should do or say to make one of them move. In the end, nothing worked and he gave up for the day.

"Wasn't Spinnard suspicious today? I heard that-"

"If Littlewood begins a sentence with <I heard that> it must be definitely true," Black mumbled, rolling his eyes at the short girl. Cissney scoffed loudly and turned to Lily while kicking someone under the table. Unfortunately, the one hurt ended up being Pettigrew who was sitting next to Sirius.

"Anyway, rumor has it that Dumbledore bought another staff member, one that is an animagus. A lot of people have seen a black kitten roaming the halls and corridors and everyone believes that's him." She continued, throwing a proud look at Black, who suddenly became curious.

"Why would someone choose a black kitten as an animagus form?" The dark haired boy mumbled before he filled his cup with pumpkin juice.

"True. An animagus should be far greater than a fur ball. Something big and proud, turning every eye when strutting down the halls." Potter added with a bright smile, puffing out his chest as he reached for another dessert.

Lily rolled her eyes and scoffed at the childish infatuation of being highly recognized by everyone. Taking a closer look, Potter was not even close to her image of a respectable wizard.

"I'm not so sure about that. What do you think Remus?" Alice asked the brains of the groups, knowing he would give them a legit answer.

"Wouldn't a smaller form be more beneficial than a wide one? You'd be agile and able to enter and exit anywhere without being noticed. A large creature is hard to handle and hide." Remus added, his eyes falling over his plate.

Potter narrowed his eyes thoughtfully at his mate but granted to the space between being taken suddenly, he broke his gaze and focused on the girl next to him. The thoughtful expression didn't change, though.

"Where have you been, badge?" Potter asked in a serious tone.

"Bathroom." She answered without taking her eyes off the table. Since Potter's narrowed eyes only intensified, she innocently turned to look at him, "What?"

"Would you prefer a smaller form or a larger form as an animagus?" The glasses boy asked making the petty question sound life threatening.

"What's an animagus?" The brunette asked, having no idea what they have been discussing before she arrived.

Potter sighed and leaned back, "Should have expected it,"


	29. Uncomfortable

Saturday afternoon, Ophelia had tutoring in the Potions classroom with Rabastan Lestrange. She had to be there in time or else she had to memorize twice as much and Rabastan was a man of his word.

Walking down the hall towards the dungeons, she stopped on the stairs, checking her pocket for the note. Spinnard gave it to her yesterday during DADA and then ignored her presence for the rest of the time. Of course, just because he seemed to be in a good mood, everyone hoped he wouldn't give a lot of homework, even none by the most optimistic. Well, he did; lots of it.

But he didn't say another word to her for the rest of the day and even avoided her sight at dinner. Spinnard was very complicated as a human being but that note just raised him to a whole new level.

Shrugging any thoughts aside, Ophelia continued her way towards the dungeons. It was when she stepped down the last stair that she noticed something in the corridor. It was a bit far for her to recognize it but with each step towards the unidentified object, the image became clearer. Ophelia stopped and looked down at the innocent looking kitten fondly.

"So I didn't dream you." She assured herself, smiling at the thought, "Aren't you a curious fellow? From the Gryffindor tower to this place, you must be good with orientation." She added, taking one step closer.

Unfortunately, when she moved so did the kitten but backwards. Ophelia took another step and the kitten's eyes narrowed as if he was ready to defend himself.

"I'm not going to hurt you. It's alright." She spoke softly, assuring the pet that she was inoffensive.

But the black kitten didn't seem to believe any word coming out her mouth. Ophelia stopped and bent so she could be closer to his level. She showed him her hands before she patted her knees for the kitten to lean on them.

It took a few more seconds but the animal complied. With big pretty eyes, the kitten placed his two front paws on her knees and stared up at her.

Ophelia smiled contently until the kitten plunged his nails in her skin. Her eyes widened but not because of the pain inflicted physically.

Images spread before her eyes, so scattered that she could hardly understand whose memories were. It was difficult to concentrate but something was pulling her in and keeping her there. Flashes of her mother's face appeared from the times she was at school and even from a few days before she died. Vernon Peverell did not appear in any image but Tom did. She swore she saw the same memory as she saw in Spinnard's mind before she felt a sudden wave of anger.

The images disappeared and she found herself in her childhood house, walking up the stairs. She held the railing, feeling her legs growing tired but continued nonetheless. The pain in her legs grew and her vision became blurry. She couldn't see anything but she heard that chilling voice, only it wasn't speaking to Lillian.

_"Love is not for wizards like us, Vernon. Love makes you weak."_

Ophelia closed her eyes feeling her orbs stinging. She rubbed them hoping it would cease the pain but she started tearing up.

And then it was over. She opened her eyes and saw that she was by herself in the corridor. Nothing was real but no matter how much she pinched herself, it hurt.

Ophelia continued her way to the classroom,a bit shaken and confused but willing for more occlumency lessons with Cerberus. She didn't notice the black fur ball crouched against the wall a few feet behind her. Those blue eyes watched her as he tried to calm his rapidly beating heart. He could still feel his body shivering slightly. The power that pushed him out of her mind was far greater than he imagined.

* * *

From the dungeons, the kitten ran up towards a familiar gargoyle. He only meowed but the statue moved aside letting the small pet continue his journey into the headmaster's office. Dumbledore opened the door for him to enter and walked alongside to his desk.

"Did he reach her subconscious?" Dumbledore asked, waving his hand, the Pensieve appearing from behind a wall.

The kitten shook his head and watched as Dumbledore grabbed a hold of the pet's memories before dripping them into the water. Next, he put his head inside and took a long look around them.

It only took a moment for the headmaster to find what he was searching for. It didn't look well from his expression.

* * *

"Again."

That was the word Rabastan has been repeating in her ear for the past two hours.

"I won't let you walk out of here if you do not make me a perfect Herbicide Potion."

He was harsh but just like Severus said before, she wouldn't improve otherwise. She needed a push and Rabastan was pushing continuously.

"It's only the first lesson. I'm sure professor Slughorn doesn't expect me to suddenly become good at it." She mumbled adding another ingredient.

"I am not wasting my time tutoring you for professor Slughorn." Rabastan said a bit too loud for how stoic he was. He really didn't move an inch from his seat.

"Then why are tutoring me? Did your older brother instruct you to watch me in case I have the philosopher stone?"

Ophelia didn't think twice when those words just scrambled out of her mouth. When she realized what she said it was already too late and Rabastan already looked offended.

"My brother and I do not meddle in each other's matters. Stir." He ordered, yet still not moving from his seat.

Seeing how his stare was colder than two hours ago, she decided to keep her mouth shut and concentrate on the potion. It didn't work very well because it exploded in her face in the next minute.

* * *

Lucius Malfoy was patrolling the dungeons, or what he would have preferred to say _showing first years how Slytherins should behave_. Of course, being the Prefect he had every right to do whatever he pleased and it seemed that particular Slytherin students liked to roam the halls at night and thus getting late to their first periods.

At the same time, Lucius couldn't help but remember the huge fight he witnessed between his father, Nott's and Mulciber's.

_"This is not the philosopher's stone! Are you trying to deceive us, Malfoy?!" Mulciber Senior was far scarier than his son. He yelled as soon as he barged inside the manor, Nott following closely._

_"Let's not overreact. I assure you that-"_

_"Your assurance means nothing, Malfoy. We have discussed this with the Blacks and Lestranges and we agreed that your help is not needed anymore. Your contributions until now will be taken account of but so will this failure." Nott interrupted, his demeanor calmer than Mulciber's but still angry._

_As soon as the two left, Malfoy turned to his son with a murderous glint in his eyes. Lucius swallowed nervously, grasping his wand just in case he had to make a run for his life._

_"Can you tell me, **son** , why am I embarrassed before so many of our family partners?" He asked in a low tone, taking a step towards Lucius._

_"Fa-Father, I apologize-"_

_The loudness of the next action between father and son echoed throughout the living. Lucius' eyes widened, stunned that his father slapped him so hard even now when it wasn't even his fault. No, it was Sna- no, it was that little girl Molley._

Lucius' chin tensed at the memory of the slap, still feeling his cheek stinging. It was one of the most shameful days of his life and his father has kept a very close eye on him during the summer. It was harsh but he learned a lesson: he will get back what he has lost even if that meant having the whole house bully Molley.

As if fate was giving him a chance at payback, a messed up brunette walked out of the Potions classroom with her hair sticking in every direction and her face covered in smoke. She looked like she had already got some kind of punishment but it wasn't enough.

"Molley, what a pleasure~" He started, strutting towards her, taking his time, "Your attire is not appropriate, 20 points from Gryffindor. Also, you should not be in the dungeons at this hour. Are you planning something?" She was ready to open her mouth and respond but he interfered, "50 points from Gryffindor. Ah~look at the hour. It's past curfew; another 50 points." He added with a content smile.

Ophelia blinked owlishly at the way Gryffindor was losing points without her doing anything. She was only standing in front of him, tired and in need of a bath but Malfoy was taking points continuously.

"You placed me in an uncomfortable position, Molley. My father has been very mad ever since." Lucius started, his eyes narrowing at the short child, "I thought you will be smart enough to return what you have stolen from me. Where is it?"

Ophelia stared at the older student before she answered nonchalantly, "Is that all? Can I leave now?"

She didn't know where she got the courage to reply in that manner but she knew she'd have to avoid Slytherins for a while.


	30. Gryffindors United

Time passed and September shifted into October really quickly. Unfortunately, the first, second and third years couldn’t participate in the parties organized for Halloween and they had to stick with the usual feast. It was not as fun as the party that followed and Gryffindors were glaring at McGonagall for the whole next week during Transfiguration.

October quickly passed as well and the students found out that they had only a bit until Christmas break. It wasn’t a surprise for some students to suddenly become studious during that certain time but it was suspicious how Ophelia Molley did.

Potter has kept a close eye on her ever since Halloween when he saw her sneak out at night. It wasn’t the first time he found her sleeping in the common room and he was sure it became a habit to find her squirm for more space on the arm chair.

“Hey, badge~” He sung softly on that Saturday morning. She didn’t even stir, “Badge, seriously, wake up.” He ordered, shaking her slightly.

“What do you want?” She asked, opening her eyes enough to see his messy brown hair. “It’s too bright,” She added, covering her eyes with her arm.

“Because it’s morning and you’re not in the dormitory.” The glasses boy started, crossing his arms in front of his chest and watching her with judging eyes.

“Ah, right,” She answered, realizing she didn’t make it upstairs once again.

But Potter had already reached his maximum of patience and curiosity was killing him.

“Where do you go every night?”

Ophelia raised an eyebrow before she remembered Potter had seen her sleep in the common room before. It never occurred to her that he’d grow curious about her issues but it seems she underestimated his spirit.

“I’m-um-working on school work. I go to the library and sometimes in the dungeons to work on potions.”

“And you can’t do that during the day, like a normal person?” He asked, his eyes widening behind his glasses. Seeing her shift in her seat, he added, “What’s really going on with you?”

Ophelia bit her lip, her mind working incredibly fast on a lie. She couldn’t tell him just how much she’s been avoiding walking the halls by day because of a certain blond. Luckily, more students woke up and some walked out of their dormitories, giving her the best oportunity to run and avoid answering.

* * *

For the rest of the weekend, Potter’s eyes have unconsciously followed the brunette. He saw a pattern now that there were no classes to hide into: she'd act normally up to some point when she would tense up and leave without an explanation or leave dragging Remus with her, mumbling that she needs help studying. Since everyone knew she was being tutored by Lestrange, it wasn't weird to imagine she was studying for that in particular but once Monday came around, she was running around more than a Ravenclaw running to class. 

It was so peculiar that even Black noticed. In the end, Potter decided he should get actively implicated in Molley's school life.

"Ahem, we have gathered today because one of us has been acting out of character." The glasses boy started, his face brightening when he saw Lily and her friends take a seat in the common room, "It seems that our no-fun badge has found a new hobby and that is being early for class and studying to the point of exhaustion with and without Remus."

"Isn't that what a student does?" Lily retorted, "I'm sure that years above us study harder than we do." 

Potter tried his best not to scoff, scorn, scowl or have any expression that could lessen his chances to ever speak to Evans again. Therefore, he turned to his best friend and continued his speech without taking Lily's interference into account.

"Anyway, let's ask someone who has more information than we do. Remus mate, did she tell you why she suddenly became so studious?"

Remus looked up from his book, confused how the attention shifted on him. Potter raised an eyebrow, waiting patiently for a clear answer.

"Well, she doesn't speak about that but I believe it's Slytherins. She's avoiding them even in the library."

Black scoffed, "Of course it's them. Those gits have kept a close eye on her from the beginning."

"I don't understand why though. The only Slytherins she speaks to are Snape and Rabastan Lestrange." Cissney added, looking as confused as she sounded.

"Good question, Littlewood." Potter pitched in before he turned to Remus again, "Well?"

"I don't know," was his answer and it didn't seem to satisfy the glasses boy.

They spent another hour speaking about their recent issue when Charlie entered the common room searching for Cissney. That was the end of their discussion about Ophelia and everyone dispersed, each going to his own business. Lily, however, stayed behind, watching Potter curiously.

"Is there something I can help you with, Evans?" Potter asked when he decided he felt enough pressure in the back of his head.

"Why are you so eager to help Ophelia? You've been just as bad as a Slytherin, giving her names and taunting her." Lily asked.

"Why wouldn't I want to help her? She's a Gryffindor, isn't she?"

That answer not only came as a big surprise for the redhead but it might have erased the incident from the beginning of the year.

* * *

Sincerely, Ophelia was going through a rough time. It was partially because of Malfoy, him being the main perpetrator with the way he was staring at her during every moment in the Great Hall. It was also because Rabastan became incredibly involved in helping her develop some kind of talent for Potions; that wasn't going well. But above each and every issue she had at the moment, there was something else that was eating her from the inside of her mind.

Lessons with Cerberus became harder and stronger than she ever imagined. She was finally able to push him out her mind but it didn't feel like she was in control of it. Those months have been interesting, to say. For Cerberus, seeing into her mind became tiring and so he decided he should also teach her legilimency, against Spinnard's disapproval.

"Have you been practicing it on your house mates? You're getting good at it." Cerberus complimented though he seemed a bit suspicious by it. "I hope you're not practicing it on your professors,"

"I'm not practicing it at all. I'm so tired every night that I can't even make it into bed. I just sleep on the armchair in the common room." The brunette girl mumbled.

"I heard about it. While flying around the Gryffindor Tower, I heard Charlie Wood complain to his dorm mates that James Potter has created this little group of second years in order to protect you from Slytherins. He also said next year they'll need a new seeker. Again, Potter's name has been thrown into discussion." Cerberus informed her, laughing slightly to himself.

“It seems so. He likes to meddle into other people’s lives and will eventually get in trouble.” Ophelia mumbled, scratching her left arm nervously.

“I think so too. I heard Luce complain about Potter, among other things. I’m surprised he’s been so lenient these months. Even as a student, he used to be very strict with others and especially with himself.” Cerberus said with a melancholic smile on his face, “Now that I think about it, there was one subject Luce was bad at and that was Transfiguration.”

Ophelia choked on saliva, surprised that such a subject could trouble perfect student Spinnard. Then, she actually imagined a younger version of those cold blue eyes in the middle of the classroom with one leg and one arm missing.

“Don’t mention it to him. Keep it for when you genuinely need it.” The elder whispered before winking at her.

Ophelia laughed, surprising even herself that someone could lift half of the amount of pressure she held on her shoulders. Laughing was definitely a way to loosen up and relax her brain.  

“You know, I hear a lot about this Potter and the way he seems to be charming his way around. He also plays Quidditch and wants to enter the team. Why don’t you hang out around him more? Maybe you’ll get interested in Quidditch as well.”

“I doubt that,” She replied quickly but Cerberus was not the man to accept a refuse easily. His eyes sparkled in the dim light of the classroom and suddenly he smirked.

“Let’s try out.”

* * *

It was past eight in the afternoon and granted to winter growing closer, days became smaller. Thus, it was dark and chilly and Cerberus dragged his student on the Quidditch pitch for what he called a ‘tryout’.

He disappeared for a few minutes, letting her alone in a place she wasn’t eager to explore. She had seen students fly and she had seen matches last year but from her room not from anywhere near the grounds. Ophelia loved magic and she loved Hogwarts but this sport was not her cup of tea.

“Here!” Cerberus yelled as he threw a broom at her. It was an old model, kept for flying classes but it didn’t look like he cared. “Get on it!”

“No,” She answered, scrunching her nose.

Cerberus narrowed his owlish eyes at her and whistled. It looked strange to say the least but suddenly, the broom squirmed out of her hand and flied around her before literally pushing the girl on it and leaving the ground. Ophelia’s eyes widened and she grasped on the broom tightly, scared that it was getting too high. When the broom stopped, Cerberus followed and easily made it next to her.

“What if I fall?” She asked, her eyes staring at him while her grip tightened.

“You won’t. Trust me.”

 _Trust me_. Those words caught her attention and she looked up into Cerberus’ eyes, seeing Tom for a moment.

“Alright.”

* * *

Flying around the pitch felt better than she expected. Feeling the wind blow through her hair, sometimes a bit harsh, scaring her that she might fall off the broom-or with it, for that matter- was just liberating. Turning towards the older man, she saw him stare at the middle circle, the big one. He was smiling sadly, leaning back on the broom as easy as if he was born on it.  

“What is he thinking about?” She wondered out loud before she realized she could see it with her own eyes. She grabbed her wand from her back-pocket and whispered, “Legilimens,”

_“Welcome all to the match that we have been waiting ever since Peverell became the captain of the Gryffindor team and Queltch the captain of Hufflepuffs’! These two players will certainly show us a game worth for the National Championship!”_

_It was loud and overwhelming. Ophelia found herself in the middle of the pitch with the Hufflepuffs and Gryffindors flying around her as if she wasn’t there. Well, she wasn’t but it made the hair raise on her back when someone would fly through her._

_In one word, the sight was lively. She never expected so many students to enjoy Quidditch to the point they would get so involved in the game. Gryffindors were on one side, screaming names and encouraging words while Hufflepuffs were singing some kind of song for their team and its captain. Slytherins and Ravenclaws where there to encourage the game itself, each individual supporting whomever they wanted. One sport was bringing everyone together for the fun of it._

_Madame Hooch was on the ground, holding the whistle in her hand while the Quaffle in the other. She blew the whistle and threw the Quaffle in the air, thus signaling the beginning of the match._

_“Aaand the game begins! I see that Peverell has already made a plan for his team. Will we witness the best season Gryffindor has ever had? Well, I definitely hope so.” The announcer mumbled, getting the Hufflepuffs to shout some bad words at him._

_Mesmerizing. Entrancing. Bright. Those were three words that could characterize what she was watching. Queltch was keeping an eye on the Seeker while Cerberus was flying around, keeping the goal baskets safe._

_Then one person zoomed right past Ophelia. She turned after him and saw the redhead dimpled captain that everyone admired and respected. He was flying like he has started before he was brought in this world; he was quick and could turn his broom any way he wanted to. His face seemed bright even if he was concentrating on the Quaffle. If Peverell was there, playing to win then Ophelia thought her mother was there as well, watching her friend. The brunette witch turned to the viewers and scanned every single Gryffindor. Her mother was not there. Peverell noticed it too because he suddenly lost that amazing control over his broom and almost fell off. Thankfully, he got back on it quickly and turned his attention on the game. Seeing him closer, Ophelia frowned. His eyes, his frown, his cheeks and just everything about him seemed older than she expected._

She left Cerberus’ mind afterwards only to come face to face with the man himself, standing right in front of her.

“Well? Enjoyed yourself?” He asked with a boyish grin, “What did you see?”

“Vernon Peverell…” She mumbled, still confused how one person could look so different in the picture compared to a memory.


	31. Unexpectedly, It Happened

Those uncorrelated faces of Vernon Peverell ended up haunting Ophelia for the next weeks. Nightmares transformed into dreams about Cerberus and Spinnard’s memories and not even those were correlated. Vernon Peverell was a man with many faces and she had no one to ask directly but Dumbledore.

That was how right after Transfiguration on Tuesday, she fled from the classroom as if she had done something. Potter raised an eyebrow and hummed to himself, nodding to Pettigrew and Longbottom. The two boys nodded right back and walked the same direction as Ophelia.

“Those two won’t be subtle.” Black mumbled, feeling like taking a nap.

“A sudden friendship between you and her is not believable.” Potter replied, turning towards the Great Hall, hungry and in mood to mess around. Also, he wouldn’t say no if a redhead would sit near him at the table.

“She doesn’t even speak to Peter. At least we fought before,”

Potter raised an eyebrow, smirking bemusedly at his friend, “D’you fancy her, Sirius?”

“No! Ew, no!” The dark haired boy exclaimed appalled, making Potter laugh loudly scaring a few nearby Ravenclaw girls.

* * *

Seeing two young and healthy boys stalk a equally young and healthy girl was quite disturbing in theory. In practice, the unnamed black kitten tilted its head to the side, confused yet curious how far they would go. They were Gryffindors based on their robes but not very good at keeping themselves covered in shadows.

“Isn’t this the way towards the headmaster’s office?” The bulkier one asked the thin one. The kitten couldn’t really bother with names since there were so many students in Hogwarts.

“Why would she go to the headmaster? Is she reporting the bullying herself?” The thin one asked back, no reply coming from the other one, “Maybe we should go back. It doesn’t look like any Slytherin is targeting her for the moment.”

The kitten’s eyes widened, those innocent blue eyes turning towards the headmaster’s office. Dumbledore was not in, he knew that much, so he might as well satisfy a little curiosity that he had ever since Cerberus arrived.

* * *

Thus, when Ophelia arrived in front of the gargoyle, the ‘butterbeer’ password didn’t work. She huffed and paced around for a few minutes before he tried another one. It didn’t work either.

The black kitten felt like chuckling, which came out more like a purr. He hurried in front of the gargoyle and with one swift look, the statue moved aside. Ophelia’s eyes widened and she started to look around but the kitten already entered.

When the witch opened the door to the office, she felt her heartbeats quicken. There wasn’t a reason to be nervous yet she couldn’t control her body, especially her heart. Actually, it wasn’t really nervousness as it was the feeling of anticipation.

But Dumbledore was not inside. Her eyes wandered every suspicious shelf and crest in the wall but it didn’t seem like he was hiding either.

“I thought children these days are smarter. Can’t you see Dumbledore is not in?”

A second year at Hogwarts and she should have expected that even portraits of older headmasters and headmistresses could speak.

“Are you not going to respond to me? At least show some respect and turn to look me in the eye!” The man continued, waking up other portraits as well.

“I’m sorry…” She had to squint in order to read his name, which was so small that she could barely make it up, “Phineas Nigellus Black. I’m sorry sir,” She added, looking up at the man.

“You! Have I seen you before?” The former headmaster asked, leaning slightly on his knee, “You look incredibly familiar. If only you wouldn’t be so-“ He scrunched his nose, stopping himself before saying something that would make the others complain.

“Now, Phineas, is that how you greet a student of Hogwarts?” Another portrait interfered, this one looking slightly older than the first.

Phineas’ portrait scoffed and kept a scowl for the rest of the time. Unfortunately, with the headmaster gone on duty, Ophelia didn’t have anyone to ask about Peverell. She turned towards the door, disappointed and with no expectations left until she met those same blue eyes, standing in front of the door as if telling her to stay.

“You again,” Ophelia mumbled walking towards the fur ball. She patted him fondly with a soft smile on her face, especially when the kitten purred in delight.

“Ha! How can you pat that. A man of his age, tsk!” Phineas added before being shushed by the rest.

Ophelia stopped her actions and and stared into those small eyes. The kitten meowed innocently and walked towards her, rubbing against her leg while purring happily. She heard Phineas mumble grumpily to himself as he walked away from his portrait, leaving behind only empty space.

* * *

“So, she went to see the headmaster and no one’s been following her?” Black asked suspiciously, not certain he should trust Longbottom and Pettigrew. The boys nodded and Black turned to Potter in confusion. “Maybe not the Slytherins are the problem? Maybe you overreacted, mate.”

“No. I’m sure something’s happening. I can feel it.” The glasses boy mumbled.

Unfortunately, once Ophelia’s face has been seen enter the Hall, the group spread and Remus moved aside for his house mate to sit in her usual spot. She didn’t seem troubled at all, if anything she was just herself.

But once Ophelia sat down, she could feel eyes boring into the back of her head. She only glanced a bit over her shoulder and noticed it wasn’t Malfoy but another boy that looked to be the same age. Down the table was Snape, sitting between Avery and Nott and looking... not as uncomfortable as Ophelia expected.

"So, badge, I was thinking maybe you could help Peter with something?" Potter started surprising both the subject and pretty much everyone around him.

Ophelia's eyes moved from him to the boy that looked around with big wide eyes. Compared to Potter, Pettigrew was shorter and slightly chubby with less bravery and need to affirm himself in the world. He was what Ophelia's father would see as a great asset to her friend group. There was nothing suspicious about him, overall.

"With what subject?" She asked in the end.

Potter's eyes brightened and a wide smile spread on his lips.

"I-maybe History of Magic?"

"More like DADA. You suck at it, mate," Black pitched in making the poor boy's blush deepen.

"That too..." Peter added, "But it's alright. You don't have to-" His eyes widened when he felt a sudden kick him under the table, "I mean I am in great need of tutoring on both of them." He changed his mind swallowing his pain silently.

* * *

"You know, I have been studying a lot these days."

Ophelia started on the way back to the common room. She was walking alongside her most peculiar acquaintance.

"I noticed," Black answered, surprised that she grabbed him aside and more or less forced him to walk beside her. "You have a surprisingly strong grip, I'll give you that." 

Truthfully, the plan worked better inside her mind than it proved to work in reality. It was easy; after she heard the news about Potter's ways of interfering into her life, she wanted to speak to either Remus or Black to stop it. Black seemed to be the best choice at that point and she pulled him back, motivating Potter to walk with Remus and Pettigrew. Charlie Wood helped too when he started to talk about Quidditch.

"I want to ask you a favor." 

"I didn't know we were such close friends," He whispered leaning towards her, "What do I get out of it?" 

"Free time. I want you to stop Potter from getting more involved than he is in my school life. Even if Slytherins have been bullying me, it is my problem not his." 

"So it is true then," Black trailed thinking carefully what he should reply, "He's not an easy lad to convince. I think I need more than free time for the effort I have to put in this." 

"Fine. What do you want?" She asked ready to sacrifice a bit of her pride just to keep Potter away.

"I need a partner for certain assignments."

"Don't you have Potter for that?" 

"He's my partner alright but not for what I've got in mind. I need your pretty handwriting and your owl for these assignments." He explained with a sly smile.

Whatever he was scheming it didn't seem too bad yet she could see in his eyes that she was walking on a minefield.

"Deal." She stated firmly, shaking his hand hoping Black won't throw her in bigger troubles than she had already.

* * *

Later that night, Ophelia sneaked out of the common room with her DADA book in hand. The library was empty during these late hours and she enjoyed it quite a bit. There was no perturbation and no glare to avoid. It was just her and her thoughts and of course, the homework. 

She was copying every detail she could find about werewolves. It seemed that Spinnard wanted her to write an essay of five pages which was easy compared to other assignments on spells or even curses.

It must have been sometime during the last of her books that she heard whispers. At first she dismissed them as sounds made by the wind blowing through trees, especially that gigantic willow. But the whispers continued, faint but loud enough to grab her attention. 

The witch put her quill down and took a long look around her: books and nothing else. It was dark but not enough for her to get scared. It was _strange_ , that's what it was.

Feeling like she couldn't concentrate anymore with that noise, she got up and let herself be led by hearing only. Sensing that she might meet someone or something dangerous, she drew her wand out.

The whispers seemed to have vanished as she took a turn and light brightened from the tip of one's wand, blinding her. The anonymous person moved it aside and came closer to her so she could see him clearly.

Her green eyes widened in surprise but also in astonishment and a bit of fear. He was there standing tall and proud and he seemed different yet still the same. She didn't get the chance to think before she breathed out,

"Dad?"


	32. Teller of No Truths

_"Dad?"_ He repeated, flinching slightly at the title.

"I mean, Tom. You're Tom." She rectified quickly in case she angered him.

From the looks of it, he didn’t seem to bother with names such as ‘father’ and ‘daughter’ so she internally decided she should call him by his name, now that she knew what it was.

"You have been studying by yourself so late at night for how long exactly?" Tom asked, walking past her towards the back of the library.

"A while. I might have pissed off a Prefect." Ophelia mumbled guiltily. "A Slytherin Prefect," She added, hearing a faint chuckle from the man in front of her.

"Lucius Malfoy, am I right?"

She looked up at him surprised that he could figure it out so quickly but nodded nonetheless.

"He is still young and inexperienced. He'll learn soon enough." Tom continued nonchalantly, as if he was discussing a distant relative.

“I don’t want to be rude or ungrateful but why are you here? And how?" She asked trying to sound as polite as possible.

Tom stopped and glanced at her over his shoulder, scaring her with the way he seemed to be glaring at her. Those eyes, narrowed in such a way that made her remember the first time they met; the intensity was different but they had the same effect on her.

"I am here on matters that little girls should not be curious of." He replied with a tinge of a scolding tone making a shudder go down her spine. He wasn't really intimidating nor did he act in any way that would scare her yet his simple presence was overwhelming.

"Then, how did you know I was here?"

"I heard rumors that you befriended Rabastan Lestrange," He changed the subject completely as he stopped in front of the Restricted area of the library.

"I wouldn't say we are friends. He's tutoring me in Potions." She mumbled, "He became very involved as of late. He actually works alongside and forces me to copy him more or less."

"Good. That means he plays his role well." Tom replied in the same monotonous manner that made her question if he really was interested in her life or not. Then, some tiny detail drew her attention to a particular reasoning.

"His role?" She asked looking up at him, "What do you mean? What _is_ his role?"

The wizard didn’t even bother looking at her before he walked inside the Restricted Section with one clear purpose in his mind. Only a few minutes later, lost in between shelves of books did he respond,

“You will get better at Potions.” It sounded a lot like an order rather than an encouragement, “I would also like you to stop bowing your head in front of Luce."

"I'm not bowing my head. I just comply in order to survive."

"You shouldn't." He ordered her, this time staring into her eyes. For a moment, she looked just like Lillian but blinking once or twice, it shifted into a mix of both Gaunts. Or, rather than looking like Lillian, Ophelia seemed to grow into a true Slytherin heir with black hair and pale complexion. “You will not bow your head to anyone ever again. Not even in front of death.” He ended coldly.

"Because wizards like us have strong and old magic isn't it?"

It might have been naivety from her part but it annoyed the older man. In his ears it sounded very much like she was mocking him which in return should receive a punishment. But not yet, he couldn't. Tom needed her to trust him completely before doing anything that would give out his true personality.

"Again, I don’t want to be rude but are you a pureblood?" Ophelia asked innocently, waiting to finally know what she was in terms of society titles.

"You are daughter of two purebloods," Tom’s face brightened slightly as he established their rang, "We come from a long line of pureblooded wizards and so it shall remain. Do not stain our name, Ophelia."

"But-"

"You, as me and Lillian, are direct descendants of Salazar Slytherin. Never forget your identity." He interfered, visibly boasting about their status yet firmly informing her of her boundary.

Ophelia’s green eyes widened as she heard those words echoing in her mind. The disappointment when she was placed in Gryffindor, the way she befriended a Slytherin so easily and the way she never felt threatened or ashamed when her house mates implied that she was acting like a snake; everything was finally falling into place. 

"How do you know so much about me and my school life?"

Tom raised an eyebrow, not unpleased with the question but obviously not prepared to give detailed explanations to a little girl.

"I have always known. Unlike what you have been urged to believe, I had never stopped watching over you.”

If only his eyes wouldn’t have glinted so sinister while speaking, Ophelia might have fallen into his palms right away. But there was still a life that Dumbledore helped her create for herself and Ophelia wasn’t sure she wanted to give it up just yet.

* * *

Returning to the common room, she didn't look anywhere but her muddy shoes. Ophelia met him again; the man who showed her magic, the one who helped her when she was confused and he was her father. He reached out to her, finally, and it was so…she couldn’t find the right word to describe it.

Going up into her dormitory, it started to feel like she committed a sin. Dumbledore asked her to forget about her mother's death and her anonymous father but now, that was out of question.

Tom. That was his name; that was everything she knew about him actually. No, she also knew that he was good at Potions and he was a manipulative person. But was that all? She couldn't judge someone when that person never wronged her but instead gave her an aim in life. Tom was her father and even if she was grateful to Dumbledore, Ophelia really wanted to trust her father.

* * *

Next day was Wednesday which meant she had Occlumency lessons with Cerberus. She had to find a way to retain last night's memories and block him from coming near them. That was going to be a challenge.

"Oi, badge! You look happy today. Had a good dream last night?"Black asked as soon as they walked into the Great Hall.

"I did, yes." It did feel like a dream now.

"Maybe because you slept in a bed?"

Ophelia scoffed at the glasses boy and shrugged him off, turning to Pettigrew.

"Do you still need tutoring in History of Magic and DADA?"

Peter frowned confused until he remembered what it was about.

"Sure."

"I heard that Gethsemane Timothy from Ravenclaw is an excellent tutor. I can ask Cissney to introduce you, if you’re that desperate.” Ophelia continued, her gaze so strong that Pettigrew couldn’t refuse.

However, Potter was not that easily influenced; moreover when she was messing his plan of helping her. He scoffed loudly, his eyes narrowing at her from behind his round glasses.

"Too busy to help a mate, Molley?" Potter howled at her.

"Firstly, he’s not my mate thus I don’t have a reason to make myself available for him. But I am busy. Unlike you, I have to glance over my shoulder after every step I take in the corridors." She admitted with a smile on her face, surprising everyone.

"Blimey, have you eaten some rotten apple, Molley?"

She glowered at Potter’s offended face. He was a tough boy and very stubborn. Scowling, Ophelia turned her head towards the staff table and noticed not one but three pairs of eyes staring at her, more or less subtle. She could understand Dumbledore and Spinnard but McGonagall too?

She found out right after first period when a seventh year Gryffindor that she did not know told her she is needed in McGonagall's office.

"Got in trouble, Molley? Oi, James I think she wants to challenge us!" Black shouted.

"No, I don't." She grumbled, walking away from the optimistic boy.

* * *

As soon as she entered the office, she met the soft comforting smile of Albus Dumbledore. Ophelia has been there once before, when she caught a glimpse of Spinnard’s memories. Now, if only she could unsee everything, it would make her life easier.

"Please, take a seat." The headmaster invited her before he gave her jelly beans, "These are my favorite flavor." He whispered as if that was a secret.

"Why am I here, sir?"

"Something happened yesterday, am I right?"

Ophelia tensed slightly but not enough to be suspicious. She was standing with her legs closed tightly and her hands resting on her knees; very neat, just like Gloria taught her to sit in formal meetings.

"I have been informed that you came by my office while I was away." He continued, tilting his head slightly, carefully scanning her expression.

"Right. Yes, yes I did. I wanted to talk to you about someone; a man that appears in both professor Spinnard’s and professor Knowingall's memories." She started softly, forcing her mind to focus on anything but her father.

"A man?" Dumbledore asked, one raised eyebrow, almost looking captivated.

"Vernon Peverell," When she said that name she swore she saw Dumbledore's eyes brighten. "I saw him in professor Spinnard's memories and he looked fine; like any fifth year maybe. Then I saw him in a picture I found of him and Lillian. Again he looked alright but then...I had the chance to see him in professor Knowingall's memories of a Quidditch match. He looked different."

"What do you mean different?" The headmaster asked calmly. He did seem to extract some entertaining from her indignation with Peverell’s image.

"Older. Everything about him seemed older. Wasn't he in the same year as Lillian?"

Dumbledore was quick to note that the young witch has been calling her mother by her name the whole time.

"Peverell's story is more complicated than you imagine, Ophelia."

"Then make it easy for me to understand." She hissed, taking aback both herself and Dumbledore, "I'm sorry, sir."

She was uncovering bits of her past, that much was obvious. Her behavior was being either influenced by her father or someone else in her life. Was a student able to shake Ophelia from her shell from the first two years at Hogwarts? Or was it Spinnard’s curiosity that nudged Ophelia towards the past? Dumbledore wasn’t sure, he couldn’t see in Ophelia’s mind even if he wanted to because the little girl was being guarded.

"Vernon Peverell was one of the best students here at Hogwarts. He was in the same year as Luce and Cerberus." He finally responded, giving her enough for her to understand.

"And Tom." She added curtly remembering what she had seen.

"Yes."

"But how can that be? Professor Spinnard and Knowingall, they may look young but even from their memories I can see they are older than my mother." The brunette girl was growing confused.

In that moment, taking a close look at her, all guarded up in front of him, Dumbledore knew what he should do.  

"That's because your mother was not born at that time."

 _That_ was not what she expected when she entered the office.

"Was my mother a Gryffindor?" She asked after a long sigh.

"Yes, she was."

"She doesn't appear in any memories of Spinnard's and Cerberus'. Then, when did she meet Peverell?" The girl continued her interrogation.

"Vernon returned to Hogwarts to teach flying lessons but instead, I offered him a delicate mission. You see, Lillian was a special witch and when she came to Hogwarts, I made her a promise. Vernon only helped keeping it.” The headmaster gave her a very ambiguous answer but it seemed to satisfy her; at least for now.

Silence filled the office, so thick that not even a knife could cut through it; not even Potter’s childish remarks could. A second year Gryffindor was being pulled in troubles bigger than Spinnard’s power abuse during DADA and Malfoy’s foolish revenge. Suddenly, Tom’s order to never bow her head in front of anyone made sense.

But Dumbledore was patient. He experienced the same intense silence in the past with Lillian, though at a different stage in life. The daughter was not as expressive as her mother so it was difficult to figure what she was thinking at the moment.

“Then, was Peverell even a true friend or was he just a pawn? Was their friendship real?” She finally asked, “And why is Peverell so young in the picture yet so messed up in Cerberus’ memory?”

“Oh, yes. Very much so. Your mother trusted Vernon even after she graduated. As of Cerberus, he might have slightly altered the memory. I wouldn’t be surprised if what you saw wasn’t just a sign of how much Cerberus has aged,” The headmaster joked, chuckling at his own humor in hope she will too. Surprisingly, Ophelia let herself smile before she gave a dramatically loud sigh and jumped on her feet.

“Thank you, sir. I mean, for sharing all these information with me. I am merely a second year now.”

There was something smelling rotten in the room. Dumbledore could sense it oozing off the girl in front of him. It was uncertain what her next move will be but the headmaster believed in the green eyed witch; he believed in her moral education given by a Scotland Yard detective and a lawyer.


	33. Troublesome Molley

As soon as she left McGonagall’s office, Ophelia hurried down the corridor towards the stairs. She stopped before taking any step up towards the Gryffindor Tower and felt something watery on her cheeks. There was no need for a mirror or a touch to know she started to cry. The pressure she’s been feeling was a burden, the burden called family. Her mother’s character became as questionable and mysterious as Tom’s and Ophelia was wondering which one she should believe. It was clear that Dumbledore has done nothing but interfere with her life and nudge her towards certain choices, most of them keeping her away from her real family.

As all these thoughts came swirling at her, the tears continued to spill out as if she was a waterfall. It was impossible to face anyone in such a state so she turned right and jumped on the stairs before they moved.

Being conflicted where to go and which parts of the castle to avoid, she ended up roaming around aimlessly. The silence surrounding the castle was not as comforting as she imagined; in contrary, it made her feel lonelier. As opposed to how she begun the year –happy and excited for what was to come- it took a slightly different direction. Thinking about it, Spinnard and Cerberus were former friends of Peverell’s and they all had met Tom at one point. Thus, having them at Hogwarts while she was there as well must have meant something.

Ophelia stopped and stared down at her shoes with her arms hanging loosely alongside her legs. It was never about Lillian or her safety, was it? It was about Tom. It’s always been about him but why? What has he done? It was so complicated and Dumbledore wasn’t making it any easier to understand.

“Are you sure you heard right?”

The sudden voice of an anonymous student shook her out of her thoughts and forced her to hide wherever she could. They were getting closer and Ophelia found one available space that seemed big enough for her to sneak in, right behind an armour.

“I told you, haven’t I? It’s been zooming around since dinner. It seems Lestrange and Malfoy fought over something or another. The rumour is that their families have been at each other’s throats these days.” One of the students informed his friend. They were far older than Ophelia, probably sixth years, but it was impossible to see which house they were from.

“Ha, families like theirs never stop being at each other’s throats.”

“True. But it seems Malfoy has created this group with the rest and they’re trying to teach young Slytherins the dark arts.”

“What does professor Slughorn say about that?”

“Nothing. If Dumbledore doesn’t know then I hardly believe Slughorn does. Besides, he wouldn’t care. It’s pureblooded families we’re talking about. Who would dare go against Lestrange and Malfoy?”

Those were the last words she heard as the two boys got too far for her to hear any more. Who would dare go against pureblooded families, especially Lestrange and Malfoy?

* * *

“You’re late, which I would let pass if you were the kind to be late for something.”

Cerberus was a surprisingly sharp person for how laid back he seemed. He has been her professor for a few months already and truthfully, Ophelia never arrived late.

“I had a wonderful chat with the headmaster,” She started, trying to sound normal.

“Right,” Cerberus narrowed his eyes at her, suspicious of the way she was standing there, “What was it about?”

“Why don’t you try and find out?”

That question wasn’t suspicious per say but the way her eyes glinted while she taunted him sent a chill down his spine. The dark haired man grasped his wand and murmered _Legilimens!_ before venturing inside her mind.

_The memory he entered was the nearest, as if Ophelia was granting him access to a secret inside it._

_Cerberus found himself in Lillian’s house in Ireland, one that he only heard about from Peverell but never visited. It was incredibly cold, so much that he could see his breathing in the air. It was also very messy, as if someone has come and thrashed the place in hopes they could find something valuable to trade. The wood was old and cracking under his feet, making noise whenever he’d take a step._

_Cerberus’ head snapped towards the stairs when he heard someone running up. He didn’t think twice and rushed after the noise, keeping his wand close for defense purposes. He was in a memory but it was so clear that he could swear it was real._

_Once upstairs, he turned towards the right end of the hallway and breathed out, anticipation growing in his senses. One step; he took only one step and froze in fear. Whatever Cerberus felt before heightened to the point he was shuddering from every bone, grasping his wand yet not able to move his legs._

_The door at the end of the hallway opened slowly, cracking as in muggle horror stories. Whatever was inside was inviting him, luring him using curiosity as a main factor. Cerberus was known to be too curious for his own safety –afterall, that’s how Dumbledore brought him to teach Ophelia- and with a sudden surge of adrenaline, he moved. Each steps closer to the door felt like he was getting closer to death. His heartbeats quickened and mouth drained; blood was pumping incredibly fast through his body thus adrenaline heightening making him walk faster. But once facing the door, he realized there was nothing inside._

_“Excuse me?”_

_Cerberus turned faster than he imagined possible, his wand ready to attack the intruder._

_“Who are you?” He asked seeing how the little girl that appeared was clearly not Ophelia, “You scared the living deads out of me.” He added jokingly._

_“Am I scary, mister?” The girl asked, her eyes widening, “Am I?” She repeated as she took slow steps towards him, “Am I a monster, sir?”_

_“Of-Of course not. Just, who are you?” Cerberus was confused._

_The girl had the same green eyes as Ophelia but that bright red hair was definitely not hers. Then…_

_“Could you be Lillian?” Cerberus asked finally placing the pieces together. His eyes widened when the girl nodded and opened her mouth but no sound came. “How-What’s happening here?”_

_The girl, little Lillian, narrowed her eyes at the intruder making her look possessed. She screamed in agony before she fell dead on the ground. Cerberus hurried to her side but once he bent next to her, Lillian’s eyes opened and she grabbed his face before she whispered,_

_“Crucio,”_

The door slammed open and Spinnard rushed inside followed by Dumbledore and Slughorn.

“Tend to Mister Knowingall, Horace. He needs medical attention as soon as possible,” Dumbledore told Slughorn who in return seemed frozen in place, “Horace,” Dumbledore repeated, finally grabbing his attention.

“Right, right. I’m on my way.”

Ophelia watched the animagus squirm on the ground in pain, having just been hit with a deadly curse. She didn’t know how it happened or what caused the shift in her memories. 

“I see the snake has finally surfaced,” Spinnard grumbled in that personalized superior manner of his.

He was visibly judging her and he had every right to do so because Ophelia just attacked Cerberus Knowingall with the Cruciatus Curse and from the looks of it, there was no regret.

* * *

“I believe we can all agree that I was right and this time, you were wrong Dumbledore!” Spinnard yelled in delight as soon as they retreated for an urgent meeting in the headmaster’s office.

“It is not yet sure what happened in that classroom. I would like to-“

“It’s clear what happened. He entered her mind and she repelled him in the most unnecessary way! And you know why! It’s Tom.”

“Calm down, Spinnard. We don’t know that for sure. We can’t speculate on a little girl’s memories.” McGonagall interfered, glaring at her former student.

“You’re lying to yourselves! Tom has always been one step ahead and even if he hasn’t manipulated her yet, it will happen. We cannot change the facts: Tom is her father.” Spinnard spat out in anger. “I’m done with this charade. Coming here was a mistake and I intend to repair it. Knowingall will leave too. He only came back out of sense of justice for his former captain.”

It was all true and Dumbledore realized that from the moment he entered that classroom and saw Ophelia’s eyes. She was more like her father than any of them foresaw and it was troubling. Dumbledore shifted his attention on the black kitten that’s been lying on his desk with his eyes closed and sighed. From the looks of it, they were losing an important asset in the favor of family bonds.

* * *

“Psst! Pssssst! _Psssssssst!_ ”

Ophelia scratched her forehead, annoyed that even though everyone was sleeping, he was still awake.

_“Psssst!”_

“What, Black?” She hissed over her shoulder at the annoying student.

“We had a deal, remember?” He sounded incredibly pleased with himself which in return made her feeling even more annoyed, "It's time you do me the favor, **partner**."

Ophelia narrowed her eyes at the boy before she turned back to her notes. If only what she was writing about was the subject professor Binns was grumbling...

* * *

That day was slow, maybe because it was Thursday, which meant Friday was next with Potions and DADA. A majority of the unfortunate news that she found out have happened in three days.

Potions meant she had to partner up with either Remus or Snape because girls were too perceptive when working together. But she still had time to think who she should partner up with after all that effort from Rabastan.

Now that his name came across her mind, she remembered that rumor about Malfoy and Lestrange having a fight. When asked about his older brother, Rabastan sounded indifferent. It wasn't cold but it had the same tint as Tom when she asked him what business he had at Hogwarts. 

Only thinking about the mysterious man and she took a glance at the people passing by. Halls were dangerous now with what she did to Cerberus. 

"I wish it was Spinnard, though," She mumbled out loud.

It so happened that during the walk towards the common room, she saw Severus helping Lily carry some books up the marble stairs. It wasn't jealousy or disappointment or anything bad but it felt just like in the orphanage: no one would look twice at her if they didn't have any interest to obtain from their relationship. 

"Move aside, mudblood," 

It was the most uncommon way in which she shrugged the memories off. It wasn't a surprise when she looked up at the one that just pushed her aside so rudely. 

"Hey, Malfoy! Wait!" 

Ophelia didn't know what came over her but she followed the Slytherin up the stairs even if he very visibly wanted to get rid of her.

"Wait I need to ask you something!" She shouted after him which turned a few curious heads.

Seeing how the only way to shut her up was actually letting her speak, Malfoy stopped and glared down at the second year.

"Do you miss the special treatment, Molley?" He asked with a scowl.

The girl frowned, not quite understanding what he meant. 

"I want you to teach me dark arts too." She replied boldly.

Malfoy stared at her with the same expression, her words registering slowly in his mind. Those cold eyes widened when he realized what she asked in an open hallway and quickly grabbed her harshly by her arm. 

"Wh-" 

The blond dragged her down the corridor from the first floor and stopped when he was sure there was no one around

"Are you an idiot?! What bullocks are you spreading around the castle?!" The prefect lashed out, "Do you want me to take every single point from Gryffindor and turn the whole castle- no, the whole wizarding world against you?!"

"My parents are muggles. It wouldn't affect me that much." 

Those words were incredibly bold coming from someone who felt like Hogwarts was home just a few days ago. Circumstances definitely changed and she had got the urge to practice what she wrote about for Spinnard's stupid lessons.

"I heard you are practicing the dark arts with a few others. I also heard about you and Lestrange. He's still pissed about that stone, isn't he?" 

All those facts coming out her mouth were so true that it left Malfoy with only an expression of astonishment. 

"You play stupid often, don't you? It seems it pays off well in the end." The blond retorted after finally remembering what position he was in at home. "The stone doesn't interest me anymore. Now keep your mouth shut if you don't want me to practice on you."

"Do it." Ophelia said quickly before he could leave, "Practice on me. I won't run or hide and I won't tell anyone about your group. I'm good at keeping secrets." 

"It's not a secret. Everyone involved has made it clear that they want to follow his path." Malfoy answered over his shoulder before he left in a hurry.

Now, what was he even talking about? 

* * *

Just like for the past three days, Ophelia missed half of the dinner feast and arrived so late that she only found Black at the table.

"Finally! We've got a lot of work, Molley!" He shouted loudly, not caring who could hear.

"What exactly do you want me to do?" She asked in a meek tone as she sat next to him. There were a few parchments in front of him as well as a quill.

"Where is the best place to write and not have anyone look over your shoulder?" He asked leaning towards her as if suddenly it became a secret.

"The library. There is a spot that no one approaches."

* * *

"You want me to sit on a cursed bench at a cursed desk? Want me to lose my charm or something?" 

There wasn't much Ophelia knew about Black but seeing him so appalled made her feel pleased. He was usually full of energy and mischievousness, by his most perfect companion Potter's side. It never occurred to her that he would be the type to listen to rumors.

"You can stand and look over my shoulder if it makes you feel safer." She answered while sitting down and spreading the parchments around.

The boy sat in the next second across her with new found bravery. Ophelia chuckled but for her own gain, she didn't tease him. It was better to have him focus rather than ramble.

"What do you want me to do?" 

Black bit his lip, thinking closely what exactly he wanted to convey. In the end, he looked up at her with deep black eyes and shrugged.

"What would you write to the person you hate the most?" He asked as he leaned back, growing comfortable.

"You want me to write something for Spinnard?" 

Just like Potter, Sirius needed a moment to fully understand she could loosen up before he laughed. It was loud yet not as distinctive as Potter's, thankfully. 

"Anyway, you want me to write a message to a person that you hate? Can't you just use Potter for the naughty job?" 

It was obvious she was being serious yet Sirius laughed again, taking his sweet time to enjoy this rare moment.

"Yes, I want exactly that. Write a few words, in an elegant handwriting, for someone who is more despicable than Spinnard." Sirius finally gave her a real answer and a reason. "Make it so that the receiver of this letter will scream in anger and remember it for a few days." He continued, his voice and expression changing to 180 degrees.

"Alright."

Ophelia agreed without pestering him with more questions. However, when she took the quill and placed it on the parchment, she blocked. Everything she could hear resonating in her mind was the sentence that came from her father.

When Sirius peeked at what she was writing, he didn't expect her to literally pour her hatred in the letter. His eyes moved up on her face wondering just how much anger she was hiding behind that poker face.

_It's my turn now._

_"_ The address?" She asked after she folded it neatly.

"12 Grimmauld Place, Islington, London, England." He informed her, watching as she wrote it down. 

"Whose address is it?"

It was just a more elegant way to ask who did she just piss off.

"Mine." 

That Thursday proved to be so eventful.


	34. Gryffindors and Slytherins

“Do you want to send it with my owl?” Ophelia asked after they finished writing and folding the letter. Sirius was walking alongside her and had a shock for a moment.

“Aren’t you being suspiciously nice today, Molley?” He asked her with a smirk playing at the corner of his lips. It was a joke for him, he only wanted to tease her but she actually tensed. “You don’t have to take it seriously, badge. Relax for Merlin’s beard, it was just a joke.” He added quickly when he saw her posture.

“I’ll give it to Willy and he’ll probably deliver it correctly.” She answered to her question in his place just to change the atmosphere.

“What do you mean _probably_? Doesn’t he send any of your letters to the right people?”

Ophelia bit her lip, containing the bemused smile that was widening on her face. Seeing her eyes scrunch a bit as if she wanted to sneeze, he tilted his head to the side in curiosity.

“Are you laughing at me, Molley?” He asked with a tint of amusement.

“No,” But anyone could see the smile widening more and more until she couldn’t contain it anymore. “You’re being nice to me too.”

Black felt like laughing and scoffing at the same time, “Is that reason enough to make you smile so happily?”

The brunette witch nodded, feeling relieved for having him there to change her mind off what happened earlier that day.

“If you want to know, I never wanted to make you believe that I hate you or something.” Sirius added as assurance, maybe for him more than for her. It seemed a lot of their colleagues had the impression they weren’t on good terms.

“I know. I’m sorry for being such a sour grape every time.”

“See?! Why are you making me look like the bad guy again?” He whined making her cover her chuckle in case someone could see. “Come on, Molley. We’re going to be partners for a while so better keep your attitude for the letters.”

“Is the letter for your parents? Or maybe a sibling?” She asked curiously, her eyes widening a bit making her look exactly like Potter characterized her before.

“You’re suddenly very talkative, aren’t you?” He teased but her response was an innocent shrug, “It’s for my mum. She will probably send a howler in a few days, scolding me in front of the whole school. Look forward to that, Molley. It’s going to be a real show.”

The grim expression on his face and the ironic words were light compared to how much anger he had inside his heart.

“Are your parents purebloods?” She continued her questioning nonetheless.

“Yes, they are. My family is really bad, Molley. Almost every member was sorted in Slytherin for centuries. I’m the exception; a Black in Gryffindor,” Even he started to chuckle at the irony of fate, “I’m not complaining, though. It gives my mother another reason to hate me.”

Silence filled the space between them as Sirius’ stopped talking and Ophelia didn’t bother comforting him in any way. Each had their own lives and own burdens and they had to confront their families by themselves.

They were close to the Fat Lady portrait when Ophelia remembered something he said that she was confused about.

“What is a howler?”

Black laughed loudly, waking up the Lady. Even after they entered the common room Sirius was still laughing which confused Ophelia even more.

* * *

Next day bright and early, the Gryffindors had Potions with Slytherins. Usually the lessons go smoothly granted to the amount of energy and concentration they had to put into their potions. However, it seemed Slughorn had a great revelation last night and came up with a dreadful idea.

“I want each Gryffindor to pair up with a Slytherin for this next assignment. Now, now don’t look so grim, I’m sure we’re an even number and-“

“Professor, I don’t think that’s a good idea. We hate each other, remember?” Black interfered, more annoyed than every Gryffindor together.

“Don’t worry Black. We’ll make you feel like you’re one of us, just to have what to tell your mother when you get home for Christmas.” Mulciber stated with a smirk, having the others chuckle behind him.

Professor Slughorn seemed confused as he tried to stutter some words out.

“I don’t have to. I’m sure you’re sending your mother a report every day, just in case you need my parents’ help since their name weights more than yours ever will.” Black yelled back, both boys glaring at each other as if they could duel only with their minds.

“Don’t get cocky, Black. You never know who’s going to pair up with you and what can happen afterwards.”

“Mate, you’re being a twat at the moment. Are you genuinely searching for a fight in the middle of the class?” Potter interfered, taking his friend’s side.

Mulciber was growing red in the face with the amount of anger he was feeling and from the looks of it, every Slytherin was getting fired up as they all moved their hands towards their wands.

“Um-professor maybe you should reconsider this pairing assignment.” Remus tried to reason with Slughorn but it was already too late.

Ophelia only had time to hear Nott calling the girls mudbloods before Potter drew his wand out and pointed it at the Slytherin.

“Say that one. more. time.” Potter hissed at the dark haired pureblood but Nott seemed extremely pleased.

“Or what? You don’t know any curses do you?”

But Sirius did and he didn’t think twice before attacking Nott. It was quite a mess from that moment on as more Slytherins combated the Gryffindors and vice-versa. Ophelia moved aside before she could get in between the two sides but professor Slughorn was speechless. His eyes were watching his students in shock until he decided he should have an input.

“Let’s calm down, now. There’s no need for-“ He stopped, freezing from head to toe and falling back like a statue.

Both sides stopped as well and hurried around the professor. Well, Gryffindors did because Slytherins seemed incredibly pleased with themselves.

“Look what you did now, Black. Stunned a professor and attacked a fellow classmate. Let’s see how your dear mother will react to that.” Mulciber spat out with one eyebrow raised and arms folded in front of his chest as if he won the cup.

* * *

Unluckily, lunch was spent together in McGonagall’s office. Her disappointed gaze fell over every student, making them all feel sorry for the commotion. Well, maybe not all of them.

“What were you thinking, Black?” She hissed, looking angrier than ever before.

“I can explain it, professor. You see, I-“

“No, you can’t explain it, Black. You stunned a professor! What were all of you thinking?!”

Yes, McGonagall was very angry with each and every of her student. Ophelia noticed Potter struggling to keep his mouth shut as he seemed to be the only student who didn’t find their scolding fair.

“Excuse me, professor, but Mulciber and Nott have said some nasty comments about Black’s family. I think that-“

“No need to explain anything to me, Littlewood.” Cissney was shut up instantly and she cowered to Lily’s side, afraid to mutter another word.

McGonagall sighed and turned her back towards them, probably trying to calm herself down before facing them again.

“If you are taunted you do not, and I repeat, do not taunt back and do not attack. You come to me and we resolve your problems in a silent manner. You should learn how to behave yourself, even when dared to react. Am I clear?”

The room zoomed with responses along the line of _Yes, professor_ but Potter and Black were still not ready to comply when they have been the ones attacked, especially Black.

“Potter, Black, have I made myself clear?” Professor McGonagall asked once again, her heavy gaze boring into their heads.

“But profess-“ Potter stopped when she threw him an intimidating look, “Yes. Understood.”

“Then, all of you will get detention with professor Spinnard every- don’t complain when you have brought it over yourselves- every Saturday afternoon until the beginning of the new term.” A wave of complains ensued once again but McGonagall silenced them all when she turned to Black, “You, Mr. Black, will get detention with me every Monday and Friday after classes, will also have to write an apology for your unacceptable behavior and I’m sorry but I’ll have to take 50 points from Gryffindor.” Another wave of complains filled the room as Sirius was made into a black sheep.

It was over and everyone could leave, hopeful that Slytherin got the same amount of detention and lost points. Sirius hurried out of the office with Potter following closely and Pettigrew somewhere in the back.

“That’s what happens when you ask for Gryffindors and Slytherins to pair up…” mumbled Cissney once they left the area nearby McGonagall’s office. With that harsh scolding, Cissney was like a little lamb searching for comfort around her dorm mates.

“I believe Black overreacted a bit. I mean, we have seen how far Slytherins can go when they bullied Remus and Ophelia.” Alice interfered with her opinion, now that she could.

“I think professor McGonagall is right. She seemed shaken up too since she is the head of our house.” Lily added as they walked towards the DADA classroom, “I can’t believe that we all got detention with professor Spinnard.” Finally there was a motif for everyone to agree on.

“Don’t remind me. I have a sour taste in my mouth every time I hear his name.” Cissney moaned, “I can’t believe we have DADA now. Spinnard will glare at us and mock us, I’m sure.”

“I doubt that.” Ophelia assured her dorm mates, “I’m sure he has bigger problems than us. But he will definitely say something that will piss Black off.”

“Poor Sirius. I can’t believe Mulciber and Nott know so much about his family.”Alice added in a meek tone.

“Don’t you know? The Black family is known for creating dark wizards. I was surprised when Sirius was sorted in Gryffindor but I heard his younger brother is keeping the family tradition and has been sorted in Slytherin. He’s a first year.” Cissney informed the girls, always up to date with everything happening at Hogwarts.

“I swear, you will do a great journalist in the future. You should apply for the Daily Mail as soon as you graduate.” Lily said jokingly which finally moved the subject on lighter matters.

* * *

Just like Ophelia guessed, Spinnard entered the classroom with a scowl and placed his books on the desk before facing them and leaning against the wooden edge.

“Congratulations! From tomorrow we will see each other a lot more. Isn’t that just wonderful?” His sarcasm was bringing more dread over the students, “I’m sure McGonagall scolded you enough but we all know you will do it again if the chance arises. That is why I would like to begin today’s lesson with a subject I find useful: dueling.”

Students started to whisper from the back of the class up to the front.

“Everyone, get up!” He ordered, every student rising warily next to their desks, “Let’s move everything aside and begin our lesson.” As soon as he finished his sentence, the desks were pushed in the back, one of them blocking the door. Students swallowed nervously when they noticed they had no way out.

“Is this his way of punishing us?” Longbottom asked Ophelia since they were standing next to each other.

“No. I think he’s genuine this time.” She whispered back, as confused as the rest.

“During this class we will use the Disarming Charm, Petrificus Totalus, curse that Black here seems to have mastered already and the Banishing Charm. I want you to pair up and face your partner.” As soon as he gave the orders, everyone paired based on friendships.

Ophelia was ready to ask Remus when Pettigrew got to him quicker than a mouse in its hole. There were more people she could choose from but Spinnard pulled her in front of him.

“Let’s start, shall we?” Spinnard’s smiling face sent a chill down Ophelia’s back. He planned such a fun lesson because he wanted to teach her a lesson for sending Cerberus in the Hospital Wing.

* * *

Before literally hitting each other with charms and curses, Spinnard was smart enough to teach them the gestures and spelling properly. But once that was done, the blue eyed professor smirked wickedly at his partner as if taunting her to disarm him.

“Expelliarmus!” Black shouted before anyone else, easily disarming the glasses boy. “Piece of cake,” He bloated as he threw the wand back to its owner.

Spinnard rolled his eyes before he turned to Ophelia expectantly. A duel meant both wizards had to engage into throwing and avoiding curses and spells at each other which none of his students were doing. The professor sighed and decided he should make an example out of Ophelia.

“Depulso!” He yelled.

The charm hit her straight in the chest and threw her against the wall. It hurt a lot more than she expected and the whole class stopped to gape at how a professor just went against everything McGonagall said before.

“When you are attacked, you need to react right away. You may be each other’s practice partners in here but outside this castle, you’re on your own.” Spinnard adviced them, taking everyone by surprise with how serious he was being.

By the end of the lesson Ophelia was the only student that knew how a duel felt like. She could still hear Spinnard’s voice echoing through her head _Depulso! Expelliarmus!_ She most definitely heard _Stupefy_ at some point but it was faint.

“That was the best DADA class we’ve ever had! Spinnard should dothis more often!” Pettigrew and Longbottom were suspiciously happy compared to how poorly they did during class.

“He’s teaching us really easy stuff. I know that already.” Black whined childishly while leaning against Potter.

“Just wait. I’m sure he’ll teach us more during detention.” Potter added jokingly but everyone else froze.

“What if he’ll duel us every Saturday and this was only practice?” Cissney asked around scared of what could happen.

No one said a word about it afterwards but at dinner Ophelia saw more than half of the class practicing with bowls and cups.

* * *

With dinner finished and most Gryffindors going into the common room, Ophelia sneaked away from her group towards the hospital wing. She was hiding in the corridor towards the kitchen when someone touched her arm, scaring her.

“Are you alright? Lily told me you have been dueling at DADA today.” He asked as if he was asking about the weather.

“Everyone did.”

“She said your partner was professor Spinnard. Last time I checked, he hated you.”

Ophelia’s eyebrow twitched at the sudden interest that her friend was showing, interest that had nothing to do with Potions.

“It’s fine.” She replied but the boy wasn’t convinced.

“It’s **not** fine,” He stated firmly as he grabbed her wrist and pulled up her sleeve. “You should tell Dumbledore about it.”

“We’re not on good terms.”

Ophelia pushed Severus away lightly and pulled her sleeve down before she took a peek into the hall. Only few students were around and it looked like everyone from her house was spread through the castle. She could easily sneak to see Cerberus and hopefully no one else was there.

“How can you be on bad terms with the _headmaster_?”

“Stuff happened.”

“What stuff?” He asked, taking a step closer, “What stuff?” He asked again.

“He lied to me, alright? He lied to me about my mother, my father and who knows what else.”

There was a pause in which Severus remembered their first year when he witnessed her acting out of character.

“Did you meet your father by any chance?” Severus asked without thinking twice.

Ophelia turned towards her friend very slowly, her attention fully focused on the greasy haired boy. He swallowed nervously, remembering how that wasn’t his business yet curiosity has gotten the best of him.

“What if I did?”

Her response shocked him. He was expecting her to ask how he knew about that or what he meant by that but in return he actually got an honest answer.


	35. Hospital Visig

“Where are we going?” Severus asked, keeping up with Ophelia’s pace.

“ **I** am going to the bathroom.” She answered coldly.

“No, you’re not.”

Ophelia sighed and stopped in the middle of the corridor, throwing some nasty glances at the pale boy behind her. He was asking a lot of questions and was meddling in, which he very firmly hated when the subject was his life.

“You’re very persistent, aren’t you?” She mumbled grumpily. “I’m going to visit someone in the hospital wing.”

“Who? A student?” He asked quickly, his eyes widening in curiosity as he walked closer to her.

“It’s not someone you know. It’s-“

“Professor Slughorn?” Severus asked, leaning twards her, “He’s fine. He’s there only to rest but he’s perfectly capable to teach.”

“I don’t care about him. I mean, I already got my punishment for what happened. Every Saturday afternoon Grffindors will have detention with Spinnard.” She added, feeling angry at the thought.

“Don’t you have tutoring with Rabastan then?”

Ophelia’s eyes widened, remembering that Rabastan’s tutoring was usually Saturday but there wasn’t a designated time for it; he’d just tell her at breakfast or a day before when to meet.

“I’ll manage somehow.” She answered in the end, conitnuing her way to the hospital, “How come you’re not studying with Lily?” The girl asked when she realized Severus was not going to budge from following her.

“When did you meet your father?” He asked back, getting a second nasty look from her, “We have talked about him before. Why not now?”

“Because he’s- I don’t know how to explain. He’s just different from everyone here.”

Severus tilted his head to the side, mostly to see her better since he was walking a step behind her, and scanned her expression.

“Does he scare you?” The boy asked making the girl stop  midstep.

“Why would he scare me? He’s my father.”

“You said you aren’t on good terms with the headmaster. Is that because of your father?”

Ophelia’s expression fell to the point it became blank. It was difficult to know what she was thinking about, times when Severus would have liked to catch a glimpse of what’s in her head. While the young pale boy wanted her to lash at him and tell him everything sincerely, she didn’t. Ophelia scoffed and went back to walking towards the hospital without a word exchanged.

* * *

When the door to the hospital opened with a creak, Cerberus’ head snapped towards it expectantly. His eyes were glistening while the rest of his body looked like it needed a bit more time to recover. When he didn’t see anyone entering for the first few seconds, his eyes lowered to the floor but there was no kitten. Instead, he saw the muddy shoes of the girl who sent him to the hospital, followed closely by a pair of mediocre muggle shoes of a boy. Cerberus’ eyes shifted on his hands before he sighed and looked at Ophelia’s green eyes.

“I thought you’d never visit me.” He started, planting a forced smile while his eyes darkened.

It was obvious for everyone, including Severus, that the man standing on the bed was not very happy to see the brunette witch but he wasn’t displeased by it either. He was simply not in the mood to see her or speak to her or any other student for that matter. When Cerberus’ eyes moved on the Slytherin, the darkness seemed to have faded a bit but he still didn’t look content.

“I’m sorry.” Ophelia begun when the man on the bed didn’t speak a word, “You have taught me a lot and I repaid your kindness with a bad memory.” She added, fidgeting nervously.

Cerberus stared at her silently for a few minutes before he patted the space on the bed, for her to move and sit closer to him. Ophelia looked at the spot in confusion until Severus nudged her.

“He wants you to sit there.” He whispered.

“Right.” She mumbled quickly, having no idea what to do in such matters.

Once she sat closer to Cerberus, he stared into her eyes -straight into her eyes which was a bit weird, even for Severus- and finally opened his mouth.

“I should be the one apologizing, Ophelia. I lied to you. I had never met your mother in Hogwarts and everything I know is from Peverell. I don’t know what kind of person was Lillian but I know for sure that Vernon treasured her.” The man explained, completely ignoring Snape’s presence.

“Aren’t you basing your opinions on someone else’s words? What if he lied?” Severus pitched in, making Ophelia smile unconsciously at his wittiness.

“Vernon Peverell never lied a day in his life. He was foolishly sincere.” Cerberus affirmed, glaring at the Slytherin before returning his attention to Ophelia, “He never lied to me, to his friends and especially to your mother.”

“How can you be so sure of it? When mom met him, he wasn’t a student anymore. He approached her on Dumbledore’s orders.”

Severus’ eyes widened but tried to keep himself silent and still. His opinions didn’t seem to be welcomed by the older man so he should keep them for himself while in there.

“He loved her. Vernon was a charming boy and being sorted into Gryffindor, he took every characteristic of the house. He was a true Gryffindor and he never fought with anyone from any house. You can ask Spinnard about that since they were good friends.”

“What about Tom then?”

Both Cerberus and Severus frowned, for different reasons though. While Cerberus seemed more mature and informed, Severus witnessed Ophelia’s sudden burst of anger and it was memorable.

“Vernon and Tom, there was competitiveness between them but only because of their houses. They respected each other and that’s all. Vernon was very good at certain subjects while Tom was good at other subjects.”

“You mean they were top students and never came in contact? Doesn’t that mean they were avoiding each other as much as possible?” Severus interfered again, cowering a bit under Cerberus’ intense gaze. “I-I’m just wondering, that’s all.”

“Tom Riddle was a peculiar character. Slytherins these days are pretty much the same as before but none is close to how he was. There was something about him, about the way he seemed so perfect. He was a top student, professors loved him and students admired him. Too perfect.”

“Peverell was just the same, wasn’t he? Captain of the Gryffindor Quidditch Team, good at studying, charming, brave and handsome. It sounds like they could have been very good friends.” Ophelia added, knowing everything from Cerberus’ memories.

“Vernon was nonchalant. Life was this gift that he wanted to fully experience. If I were to give my honest opinion, I’d say your classmates are just like him. They want to enjoy their lives not just live because they have to.”

Saying those words, his eyes fell over the Slytherin which surprised the greasy haired boy in a negative way. There was no need for a second thought because Severus already took a dislike in the former Gryffindor.

“There are two sides of the same coin. Vernon was one side and Tom was the other.” Cerberus added. “It’s impossible to compare them but it’s also impossible to put them together.”

“Is that why he treasured Lillian? Because of her relationship with Tom? You said it yourself, they were different sides of the same coin.”

Cerberus tensed but had no response to her question.

“Before your mother died, a day or two before, I received a letter from Vernon. Everyone whom he trusted received one and the message was the same for everyone: keep her safe. That’s why I accepted to come and teach you Occlumency.”

“Is that why Spinnard is here as well?” She asked, ignoring Severus’ surprised face when he heard what Cerberus has been teaching her.

“Luce is complicated.”

“Yeah, you can say that again.” She murmured scratching her hand.

It was annoying how everyone who knew something wasn’t giving her exact answers. It was always about others and others but never about Lillian.

* * *

As soon as Ophelia left the hospital, Severus grabbed her wrist and pulled her aside. He glanced around before he turned to her with curiosity in his eyes.

“He taught you Occlumency?” He asked what he was interested in, “Why didn’t you tell me about it?” He hissed.

“Legilimency too.” She added knowing he’d be envious, "I'd appreciate if you could keep what you heard for yourself. Even better, forget it."

"I won't talk about it but I won't forget either. That man came here out of loyalty for his team captain. He's honoring Peverell's memory and-"

"Forget about it. I don't care about Peverell and it seems everyone that knows something about mum include this perfect character. I should just ask dad." She mumbled, turning around and leaving the boy alone.

Severus didn't follow her and didn't persist with questions. He knew she will come to him if there was something bugging her. Unfortunately, curiosity was hard to maintain and that man, Cerberus, he threw a lot of information at him. Ophelia's family life was very mysterious and it didn't look like she was minding that; instead, Ophelia was gaining this wicked pleasure out of her mother's murder and father's complicated past. 

Walking back to the dungeons, he felt a shiver down his spine coming from the change in temperature. Winter was close by and the walls were getting colder.

"I am disappointed, brother. You, out of everyone should know better than waste time on mudbloods." 

That sounded awfully familiar. Severus slowed down, his first reason being to hide his presence until the two Lestranges would leave. Secondly, he did want to hear what they were fighting about. Even in the Slytherin common room, the rumors about Rodolphus and Lucius were zooming at incredible speed. 

"I am not wasting my time. You will see in the near future that I did it with a purpose. When that time comes, you will be the one cornered by your insufferable ignorance." Rabastan hissed at his older brother.

Severus took one step forward and leaned against the wall. It was good that he could hide in the shadows without trying too much.

"You can't tutor that mudblood anymore, Rabastan. I forbid you and I will tell dad about it."

That sounded awfully like something that half of the Slytherin house said on many ocassions. With families like theirs, every pureblood had a back up in their fathers. Unfortunately, Severus did not.

"You'll leave soon and won't have to bother with me anymore." Rabastan answered, defying his brother.

"Your decision will bring along harsh consequences, brother. Father will be very angry. We don't need disappointment in our family." 

Those were Rodolphus' final words before he left. He probably went in the common room because he didn't pass by Severus' hiding place. On the other side, Rabastan did. He took a few steps towards him before he raised his eyes and stared at the second year.

"I-I wasn't-Just-" Severus stuttered unsure what Rabastan would do to him.

"If I were to be my brother, you should have been scared. But I'm not Rodolphus." His tone didn't help his affirmation much, "There are minor problems that my older brother seems to be keen on making. I may not be available for tutoring so you better do it instead."

Severus frowned. That was not what he expected to hear from the pureblood.

"You mean, tutoring Ophelia? Why does it matter who tutors her? A Ravenclaw would be just as good." Severus asked genuinely confused.

"Are you questioning my motives?" 

Severus shook his head slowly seeing how Rabastan's eyes darkened dangerously. 

"So it is true that you volunteered to help her. Why?" Severus couldn't help but question him.

"Help her with Potions and only Potions. Nothing else." Rabastan stated before he walked towards the stairs.

Was it him or did Rabastan just more or less ordered Severus to do his deed?


	36. New Tutor, Old Tutor

Next morning was impossible for Severus to not glance at Ophelia. She was enjoying breakfast with Potter screaming in her ear about how they should pair up in detention. Severus was sure the whole castle could hear him, not just his mates. A few seats down the table were Rabastan with his friends, looking like he never even fought with his brother last night. At the other corner of the table was Malfoy with his own friends, Rodolphus included. The tension between the blond and the eldest Lestrange could be seen in their friends, who would prefer to speak to them separately even if they were right next to each other.

Moving his eyes on his toast, Severus wondered if he looked the same as the two among his friends. Mulciber was talking about their DADA homework, getting Nott involved into it too.

“Spinnard doesn’t know what a lesson is. In two years he didn’t let us practice even once. Only theory and more theory,” Nott commented, leaning his head against his hand.

“It doesn’t matter anyway. We don’t need his help.” Avery mumbled from his seat next to Mulciber. “Rodolphus decided that fifth year and above will teach us exactly what we need.”

“We should search for a room that’s not in use, better not in the dungeons or it will catch Slughorn’s eye.” Nott added thoughtfully.

Almost all of them snorted at that affirmation, Mulciber placing his quill down so he could express his opinion without having to write about werewolves.

“As long as we are who we are, Slughorn will not glance twice at us.” The pureblood mumbled, his eyes falling over Severus, “We’ve all decided the same, haven’t we Severus?”

Snape’s eyes widened, surprised that Mulciber was keeping an eye on him. The half blood nodded slowly, an expression of approval on his face.

“Of course,”

* * *

Immediately after breakfast, Severus ran out of the Great Hall and hid in the corridor towards the kitchen, waiting for the brunette witch to walk out. Mulciber was keeping an eye on him, he knew that from the way the pureblood was always asking for reassurances from him. It wouldn't have mattered if Rabastan didn't pass his tutoring onto him, but it happened and now Severus had to run from classes to dark arts training and to tutoring his friend. An awful lot of responsibilities, he considered.

"Awaiting your mudblood Gryffindor friend, Severus?"

Malfoy's cold voice almost gave him a heart attack, and it wasn't even the first time the blond startled the second year in the same place. 

"You don't have to explain. But I will tell you that your little friend is interested in learning dark arts. I might even invite her to one of our lessons, we do need to practice certain curses on someone." 

Severus' eyes widened but luckily for him, the girl she was waiting for just walked out of the Great Hall by herself, seemingly searching for someone with her eyes. the greasy haired Slytherin took the opportunity and left Malfoy smirking by himself, running to Ophelia, grabbing her arm and dragging her aside.

"Are you a nitwit?! Why would you even consider it a good idea?" The boy started once he was sure that no one was around to hear him, "How could you ask Malfoy out of everyone in this castle to teach you dark arts.  Why do you need to learn that anyway?"

Compared to Severus' offended expression and openness in showing his annoyance, Ophelia was calm, almost as if she was expecting such an outcome. It was really a matter of time until Malfoy would tell someone of her proposition.

"Why do **you** need to learn dark arts?" She asked back, "Because you are Slytherin and every Slytherin is supposed to become a dark wizard? Is there a rule that says a Gryffindor is not supposed to be interested in dark magic?" She had a certain tinkle in her eyes and certain tinge in her voice that was making Severus feel like she was scolding him and he should be affected by it. 

"No. But asking Malfoy is a big stretch from just being interested. Is it because of that man Cerberus? Is he the reason why you suddenly show this vigor for dark arts?"

"It's not sudden. In case you have forgotten, you showed me my first curse and I was amazed by it." She combated, not backing down from her choice. After all, she already decided, so be it by his side or not, she was going to learn what she wanted.

"They will tear you apart, make you their puppet and maybe even kill you. Mulciber hates you and so does Rodolphus." Severus tried to intimidate her by bluntly telling her the truth.

"At least I'll have you and Rabastan, won't I?"

"I'm not so sure. It seems there is some misunderstanding between the two brothers so from today on, I'll tutor you in Potions." Severus announced her, not looking like he was enjoying the new responsibility. 

* * *

It seemed that Severus wanted to get rid of Ophelia quickly that day and decided they should begin their lesson as soon as possible, which for Ophelia meant later. 

"I don't have all I need with me." She explained, walking towards the Gryffindor Tower. Unfortunately, Severus had other plans for later so he wanted to drag her down and end one chore for the day.

"You don't have to. We'll find everything in the classroom."

"I don't have my notes." She added, knowing Rabastan always made her copy her notes a few times in order to learn them.

"I already memorized what we've been working on."

Ophelia stopped and turned towards the boy with a frustrated look. How could someone be so persistent was above her understanding but it seemed like it was working well for Severus.

"Alright. Al-right," she gave up in the end, following a pleased Severus down into the dungeons.

* * *

One thing the Slytherin learned that day was that if he ever believed Ophelia Molley was a bad potion maker in class, she could get worse. Only an hour passed and they barely managed to make one potion before even that one exploded in their faces. With all the knowledge and patience Severus could muster, he still felt like he wanted to practice some curses on her.

"You're bullocks. I don't think it's possible to be worse than you already are!" Yes, patience was slipping out of his grasp.

But what really pissed Severus off was that she seemed to be enjoying seeing him so worked up. He swore he saw her chuckle when he went to take the ingredients. If she was messing up with him, well, he had to think of a way to punish her or calm her down because else he was going to Azkaban.

"You do realize I can get into your head and hear what you're thinking, don't you?" She muttered, busy cleaning the gooey stuff that was threatening to spill from the cauldron.

Severus frowned before he decided that if she already heard what he's been thinking, it won't make a difference if he thinks more about it.

"I'm not a mudblood, Severus. Malfoy's words are meaningless. Besides, I didn't beg him to help me; I merely gave him an option." She stated, her eyes glancing at the boy for a moment before she realized she should stir.

"Those are big words for someone who cannot make a simple potion."

"I liked my old tutor better." Ophelia mumbled, not caring if her friend was angry or not.

* * *

Times passed very slowly inside the Potions classroom but outside, it passed very quickly, at least for the second year Gryffindors. Potter was the first to lead the group towards the DADA classroom where they had to face their worst nightmare: detention with Spinnard. 

"There's a chance that if he doesn't murder someone in the first ten minutes then we'll all survive." Frank Longbottom came up with what was supposed to be a positive view. 

"I don't want to sound rude, Frank, but you should shut your mouth," Cissney grumbled, already worried. "I hope he will be in a good mood." She added, glancing at her dorm mates.

"Even in a good mood he's grumpy and cold. He reminds me of an old man who lives like a hermit." Alice added, imagining Spinnard with worn out clothes and white hair, "He kind of fits the image, doesn't he?"

"I wonder how he was during school years. D'you believe he was a Slytherin?" Lily asked her mates, curious what kind of student used to be Spinnard.

"If Spinnard was anything, that'd be Slytherin. He sure acts like one," Frank muttered, glancing around just to be safe, "I bet he was good friends with the Malfoys and Blacks, no offence Sirius," 

"None taken, mate. But somehow, Spinnard doesn't give me Slytherin vibes," Sirius commented, leaning against Remus, who was walking by his side. "I'm sure there are secrets that Spinnard doesn't want us to find out."

"That gives me an idea," Potter pitched in, his eyes glinting with mischievousness as his eyes narrowed evilly.


	37. A Chat with Spinnard

“What does Spinnard hate the most?” Potter asked his classmates with wide sparkling eyes. The glasses and his messy dark hair were only making him look like a man with an idea.

“Molley?” Sirius asked, knowing that was pretty accurate.

“He does, yes. But I mean, what would make him go bonkers, so much that he’d leave the classroom and go weeping to Dumbledore,”

Potter’s question was a challenge. Everyone was wondering what that could be but Spinnard was such a well educated and controlled person that seeing him lose himself in anger was hard to imagine.

“I can only think of Molley,” Sirius repeated with confidence.

“What about deadlines?”

Pettigrew’s idea seemed to have made Remus realize just how bad it could turn against them.

“No, no, maybe we should think about something else. Spinnard hates it when people miss their deadlines.” Remus advised his mates, remembering how angry he was when James himself didn’t respect that rule.

“I still think Molley’s the best bet. Only her face would annoy Spinnard and let’s not forget how he exaggerates when she defies him.” Sirius just had to have his way, mostly because he could think of numerous ways to annoy Spinnard by using her name.

“Why are you even dragging Ophelia into your plan? If something happens, she will be held responsible.” Lily trotted to the long haired boy and glared at him, “If you want to do something to professor Spinnard, you are free to do it but we won’t be involved,” Lily spoke for her sake but also for Ophelia’s and from the looks of it, Cissney and Alice were standing by the redhead’s side.

“Fine, Evans. You can just go cower up in the corner and leave the men handle the problem.” Sirius spat back at the redhead annoyed that she was playing victim when she obviously tagged along when discussing how to terrorize their professor.

“Interesting because that’s exactly how we ended up in detention.” She spurted out and walked right past the boy, careful to hit his shoulder on the way.

“Huh! Can you believe that?” Sirius asked, turning to his glasses friend with an incredible look, “Mate?”

But James had never seen Lily act with such a nerve before and for some reason, he liked it.

* * *

"I can't believe it took us two long hours for you to finally make an acceptable potion." 

Severus was more tired than he's been in his entire life. He never expected Ophelia to be such a troublesome student and sincerely, he pitied professor Slughorn. Compared to him, the brunette witch looked quite happy of her short lived achievement. 

"It's because you tried too hard. Rabastan wouldn't move from his seat once and walk out whenever he wanted to. I guess you do a better job by sticking with me instead of leaving when you get tired of it." She explained.

Severus frowned as realization settled in; Rabastan was really smart to walk out as he pleased. Maybe because Severus and Ophelia were friends, it felt like he would abandon her but from Rabastan's point of view, he didn't see any problem since Ophelia was just another student to him. 

"He really didn't care," the Slytherin realized, partially surprised since the younger Lestrange seemed to be very serious about his tutoring. 

"Anyway, I should get up to DADA. I have detention with Spinnard." She announced him before running up the stairs. 

"How was it?" 

Rabastan's voice surprised Severus, almost gave him a heart attack really. If his dorm mates would ever find out about their arrangement, it would cause a lot of trouble for him.

"It was horrible. An epic disaster, to be exact. She can't focus at all and always adds something  in excess." That was a very honest opinion. "Why is it important for her to do well in Potions?"

"Exams," Rabastan's answer made sense. The purebood didn't say anything else and just left. Of course, he hated being questioned.

* * *

When Ophelia arrived in the classroom, she met an interesting sight. In her entire two years experience as a witch, she never expected to see such a sight.

"You're late, Molley."

That statement would usually send a shiver down her spine but not at the moment. Seeing Spinnard was one thing but seeing him keep Potter up against the wall while Sirius was petrified right under his best friend was different; not bad different, just different.

"I thought we should never attack when we have a conflict," Cissney whispered to Lily. Ophelia heard her as she sat with Alice but was too mesmerized by the image to say something. 

"Like I said, we will use detention for you to learn how to duel. Now, if you have a question you can keep it for yourself because I don't care. I also don't care what your opinion is." He stated, his eyes falling especially on Longbottom. Ophelia swore Frank was ready to melt under Spinnard's eye.

Once he finished his short introduction, he let the two students move but did keep Potter in front.

"We'll be duel partners today, Potter." 

James' eyes widened for a moment, scared for his life since Spinnard didn't seem to agree with the idea that defense is better than offence. 

Luckily for Ophelia, she got to partner up with Remus because Pettigrew wanted badly to pair up with Sirius, which was perfect for everyone except Sirius.

"What happened?" Ophelia asked her friend who in return sighed heavily.

_"Are you sure this is a good plan? What if Spinnard doesn't take the bait?" Frank asked for the millionth time._

_"Longbottom, trust is the foundation of any prank. Besides we only want to know more about this cold hearted creature that hates everyone and everything." Potter mumbled, assured that they will get late with how slow they were walking._

_"Take it as an exploration of the Chuffedtosser, a rare specie that only Hogwarts students can study." Sirius added, high fiving Potter with a wide smile._

_"Good one mate. We should all refer to Spinnard from now on as the Chuffedtosser."_

_But once they arrived and Potter opened the door to the DADA classroom, he not only saw Spinnard tapping his foot impatiently but also felt the temperature drop a tad. Sensing that Pettigrew and Longbottom were getting scared while Remus was changing sides by walking to the girls, James realized he only had Sirius to count on._

_"Well, sorry to be late professor. We lost track of time with all the stories that we have heard," Potter started, walking right in front of Spinnard, "Quite incredible. I was amazed when I heard what kind of student you used to be professor."_

_Spinnard raised an eyebrow, not yet believing Potter's act._

_"I didn't ask you anything, did I?"_

_James' eyes widened only slightly before he swallowed nervously. It was getting complicated because the target was not easy to deal with._

_"We heard you've been a very loyal friend, professor." Sirius added, helping his friend._

_At the mention of friends, it was visible for everyone that Sirius hit a sensible subject by the way a vein popped up on his neck._

_"Yes, yes, you're right mate. Remember that story that we heard about Spinnard and -" James looked around, searching for some inspiration but only met Lily's judging eyes, "The ginger! Right. Your story with the ginger. And of course, the Slytherins,"_

_It only amplified the annoyance that Spinnard was feeling at the moment._

_"And who told you that story, I wonder?"_

_"Molley did," Until the end, Sirius wanted to involve the one reason why Spinnard would even believe them._

_The dark haired blue eyed professor narrowed his eyes at the two students and scoffed. Their plan worked but not how they expected._

Ophelia's eyes were tearing up quickly, having to eventually cover her laughter with her hand.

"That's what happened. Professor Spinnard was pissed and kept Potter up against the wall before Sirius tried his chance and ended up against the wall as well, only petrified." Remus finished the story, finding nothing amusing in it.

"They're foolish. If they want to know more about Spinnard why not ask?" Remus stared at her blankly and she shook her head, realizing what she said was also foolish, "You know what really is weird? They were very close to the truth. Spinnard did know a ginger and a Slytherin when he was a student." She added before she grabbed her wand from her back pocket.

"How do you know that?" Remus asked curiously but she shrugged and pointed her wand at him.

"Expelliarmus," 

* * *

"Everything hurts." 

Everyone was fine except James Potter, who's partner in detention was none other than the professor he pissed off. He did look worn out, with bruises forming on his neck while limping slightly with his left leg.

"It is your fault. I told you it wasn't a good idea." Lily pitched in, walking with the girls a few feet behind the boys.

"Yeah well," He couldn't say anything because he knew he should have chosen a different tactic, "It's not over yet, anyway. We've got many Saturdays to come." 

"I don't understand why they even dragged your name into their stupid plan." Lily added, turning towards the brunette with green eyes.

"Oh, I don't mind. It was only to fuel Spinnard's anger so I don't really mind. But back there, he wasn't very affected by Black and Potter's insinuations." Ophelia replied, glancing at the two boys, "They touched the right subject but not deep enough to get a reaction out of the professor."

"Everyone believes that there's some secret to unveil. I'm not so curious though, not after how he threw his students around." Cissney whispered, still having the image of Black being petrified in her mind. 

Ophelia chuckled bemusedly, feeling quite proud that she knew Spinnard's secrets.

* * *

That afternoon at dinner, Ophelia sat next to her friends until Potter shoved Remus a bit and sat in between them. It was suspicious and for that she turned to him with a glare.

"What makes you think I'm not mad for what you said back in detention?"

"I didn't say anything about you. Sirius did," The boy saved himself by pointing at his mate with a wide smile.

Sirius narrowed his eyes playfully at his best friend, throwing an apple at the glasses boy.

"Is that how it is, Potter? Giving me away for your own good?" It was obvious Black wasn't bothered but he had a certain way of dramatizing little things like that, "I just bluffed back then because someone was intimidated."

"You should have seen his eyes during detention. He can intimidate anyone, has Slytherin all over his behavior."

Ophelia couldn't help but start laughing at Potter's assumption. She almost choked on food and had to be patted on the back by a worried Remus.

"You think Spinnard was a Slytherin? That's so far fetched," She said once she regained her breath.

Potter and Black narrowed their eyes at her, leaning towards the brunette witch with new found curiosity. Unfortunately for the boys, a man that they have seen enough of for the day had come right behind Ophelia. The whole table tensed and silence filled the Gryffindors' side.

"If you are so curious, Potter, I will answer this question just to amuse you. Ravenclaw." He said before he looked down at the girl, "Let's have a chat, shall we?" 

The whole table watched as Ophelia rose and followed the cold professor out the Hall. All but a very confused Gryffindor with dark messy hair and glasses.

"Ravenclaw?!" He repeated, feeling disappointed.

* * *

Even though they were already half out the door, Ophelia heard Potter's incredulous tone and chuckled. However, turning her attention to the man leading her up in his office, she could see why students believed he was a former Slytherin. From behind, Spinnard looked very gallant and aristocratic but once he'd look at you with that pale face of his, dark short hair and probably the most scornful blue eyes, you'd realize he's not just unapproachable but there is no way to have a normal conversation with someone so uptight.

Once they arrived in his office, he closed the door loudly and walked to his desk, leaning against it so he could face her.

"What are you waiting for?" He asked, or more like scolded the young girl.

"What am I supposed to do?"

"Get into my mind. I'll lead you to the memory that will explain what I'm going to tell you." For the first time, he did talk in a normal voice not yelling and not ordering her around.

_It was silence but not the one you avoid but the one people seek; complete and utter silence, found outside big cities. Ophelia realized she was right in front of Spinnard's house, a small cottage that didn't look out of place. Standing there, a cloaked person passed her and knocked on the door. The one who opened it was a Spinnard that people rarely saw; a Spinnard with a calm and relaxed face, that enjoyed the comfort of his home._

_"Why are you here?" He asked the visitor, his behavior not changing much from usual. Maybe only his chin tightened up but he didn't look threatened._

_"Let's talk inside, friend." That last word sent a shiver down her spine, recognizing the voice right away._

_The witch walked inside before Spinnard could close the door and followed the cloaked man into what looked to be a very, incredibly large interior. She couldn't believe the outside was so small and old because the inside was amazing._

_Once he pulled his cloak off, Ophelia's breath hitched at the sight of her father. Tom was there, seemingly content but then again, it was hard to say._

_"It seems that the position I have wanted but been denied has actually been gifted to you. Of course, I know you are a good applicant but there's more to it, am I right?" The pale man asked so calmly yet there was something in his tone, something dark that didn't pass Spinnard._

_"Believe me, I'm not enjoying this new position."_

_"Are you there to teach children or are you there to keep an eye on a particular student?" Tom was very direct on that day._

_"I was brought to assist. Nothing else. You know best how much I hate people."_

_"Of course. Of course." That did not sound reassuring._

_"Your daughter is fine. She seems to be in her habitat at Hogwarts." Spinnard threw a bit of detail about Ophelia, drawing her attention._

_"I don't doubt your skills, Luce. But you know, the connection between me and my daughter will not break easily."_

_"Are you threatening me, friend?"_

_Ophelia was surprised how Spinnard was so brave in front of a man emanating so much tension. But Tom didn't seem to take it as an insult but instead cracked what she believed was a melancholic smile._

_"Is there a reason I should threaten you for?"_

_Tom was an incredible individual, Ophelia thought. He was so calm and could control not only his expressions but also his feelings. His appearance was scary but he was also handsome in his unique way._

_"You do realize that everyone is guarding her from you. Did you come here to coerce me to do you another favor? Last time, I killed an innocent woman."_

_"If that unfortunate event wouldn't have happened, then we wouldn't have met again. I want you to watch her. I already have someone who can aid her if she needs but you, I know you Luce. You hate her."_

_"Shouldn't that make you understand how bad of a job I will do?"_

_"Hate is a strong emotion, one that works in many strange ways." Tom whispered, almost hissed as he trotted towards the cold blue eyed professor, "Watch her and keep her mind away from Dumbledore."_

As the memory faded away, Ophelia could only blink in confusion. There were details in between the lines but she couldn't figure what it meant. It was a bit much for a 12 years old. 

"Tom is the one that wanted you to learn Occlumency in order to protect whatever memories he needs from you. I told Dumbledore it would keep your mind safe and knew he will call for Cerberus." Spinnard admitted.

"So you have been working for both Dumbledore and Tom?" 

"I don't work for anyone. I accepted this post for one reason alone and it has nothing to do with you or Tom."

"It's Peverell, isn't it? That man must have meant a lot for you and Cerberus. You're ready to give up on everything in his memory. Did he send you a letter too?" 

Spinnard was not impressed or curious how she knew about the letters, it didn't even matter since she didn't know who got them except him and Cerberus.

"I made him a promise and I plan on keeping my word." Spinnard explained followed by a melancholic sigh, "Your father is planning something and for our own sake, I hope he won't come after you soon." 

That was so ambiguous. He was protecting her by teaching her how to fight back but he was doing it out of hatred. The chuffedtosser was such a complex creature.


	38. A Very Jolly Christmas

One day that everyone was waiting for was the day they could leave for Christmas. It came very, very slowly and Potter had a few ideas why. Firstly, detention with Spinnard was partially terrorizing and partially educational. He'd take every student for one or two partnerships but the one that seemed to enjoy it was actually Sirius. Maybe because he had detention with McGonagall too and that was very boring, but Sirius was one of the few who were enjoying Spinnard's dueling lessons. 

"I'm sure we should not tell our parents what we have been doing these past Saturdays." Cissney whispered, careful not to be heard by anyone outside their year. 

"Are you still afraid of professor Spinnard?" Frank asked her, glancing for a moment at the staff table. Spinnard wasn't even there on their last day before the holidays. "It seems he left already," 

"Or he's somewhere in the castle, waiting for us to leave so he can practice dark magic." Potter threw in without caring who or what could hear him.

Hearing of that particular subject, Ophelia glanced at the Slytherin table. The fifth years were talking between themselves while Severus and his dorm mates were missing the festivity. 

"What are your plans for this Christmas? Should we give each other presents? We've been partners in suffering this year." Alice came up with the idea, her eyes wide and bright in the candle light.

"Why would we?" Sirius asked confused.

"True. We ended up in this mess because of you and Potter." Lily spoke up, awakening the offense in the two boys.

"At least we are learning real defense against the dark arts. And dueling." Remus added, saving them from listening to a full rambling. 

* * *

Dinner ended with everyone agreeing they should exchange gifts during the holidays so they won't have to react face to face when receiving them. Ophelia smiled contently, curious what presents she will get with how her owl was acting. 

"Let's hope Willy will send the right presents to the right people." Ophelia told Lily before they reached the staircase.

"I just hope you'll get home this Christmas. Last time, you stayed here." Lily said in worry.

"Ah right, I should visit someone. I completely forgot about him..." Ophelia spoke quickly before turning towards the corridor to the hospital wing.

But when she got there, Cerberus was not in. She was foolish to believe he wasn't already healed and back home where he was as far as possible from her. A bit disappointed, Ophelia returned to the stairs.  

"Molley, I have dreadful news for both of us." Spinnard called her out, grabbing the attention of a few passing Hufflepuffs. 

"Excuse me?" She was confused especially with how annoyed he looked.

"You'll spend Christmas with me." 

"But my parents-"

"Have already been informed." 

"By Dumbledore?" She asked the first thing that came to mind.

"By Tom." Spinnard replied not liking the news anymore than her.

Her eyes widened before she looked down at her hands. 

"Does Dumbledore know?" 

"Does it matter? Your father won't be joining us but another friend of your mother will." 

"A friend of mom's or Peverell's?" She asked sarcastically.

"Both. Are you done with these foolish questions now?" 

"I'm a child and there are numerous reasons why I have so many curiosities." She spoke up staring into his blue eyes. 

"Keep them for yourself. I want to enjoy my time home even if you'll be there." 

Wow, so much kindness. Obviously, he was less than happy to spend time with the object of his hatred. 

* * *

Therefore, next morning bright and early, Ophelia packed her stuff and met the rest of the girls in the common room, all of them having a lot of fun talking about their plans.

"I'm going to spend this Christmas with my grandparents. Mum and dad have to leave for America...not that it surprises me." Cissney started, disappointed that she won't have her parents there to welcome her home. "It sucks. I wish they were muggles so that they wouldn't have to leave so often." 

"What do they do?" Ophelia asked curiously. She never heard Cissney or any of the girls speak about their families.

"They work for the Ministry of Magic. Dad says it's important but when they took me for Parents' Day I found out they work in Muggles Administration." 

"Did I hear that right?" Everyone turned around to look at a boy two years their senior, stumbling down the stairs with a huge trunk following behind. "Your parents work in Muggles Administration, Littlewood? That's amazing! I've always been interested in muggles and their ingeniousness!" 

"You make it sound even worse, Weasley." Cissney grumbled, not liking to speak about her parents. 

"No, no! I'm serious, you should see what I discovered during the summer break! I'm sure it is somewhere around here-" The ginger opened his trunk only to have it flood with things. 

Ophelia blinked in confusion when something rolled to her feet. She took it and inspected it closely before she looked at Weasley. 

"This is an ashtray," she mumbled, not knowing how to react.

"Ah, right. I found it in the neighbourhood..." He explained, taking it carefully as if it was made out of glass when it was visibly plastic. "I have a lot more in here but-" with one swift sway of his wand, everything retracted into the trunk but also locked itself. Weasley turned then to the girls and smiled boyishly while showing them...

"That's a kettle." Alice pointed out. It was medium sized so it was very strange how it fit with all the other stuff. 

"Yes. I found it thrown in the yard...it looks like a mixer for beverages," Weasley continued, "I've been using it as a cup though...it's very useful for late night sips of butterbeer." 

Everyone was watching the peculiar boy with poker faces except Ophelia who heard a new word.

"What's a butterbeer?" She asked, getting an incredulous look from the ginger.

"How can you not know what's a butterbeer? It's a beverage of course; the best one." Weasley explained, "Are you by any chance a muggle born?" 

"No." 

The girls turned to Ophelia when she answered, none underlining that subject before. 

"Then maybe is one of your parents a muggle?" Weasley asked again, his eyes brightening at the idea.

"No." That was questioning, "A kettle is used to boil water in it. Then you pour into a cup." Ophelia added seeing how it got very silent in the group. 

"Oh. Oh! That makes sense now," The boy mumbled to himself.

"Oi, Arthur are ya comin'?" It was another fourth year, a blond boy with brown eyes. He waved at Arthur impatiently.

"Oh! Well, have a very jolly Christmas!" The ginger told everyone with a smile before he hurried to his friend.

"That was weird, wasn't it? It wasn't just me." Lily mumbled seeing how both her parents are muggles and a boy was being all excited over a kettle.

"It was. He's Arthur Weasley, fourth year. He's a nice guy but it seems he has an obsession with muggles." Cissney informed the girls.

"You really do know everyone." Lily added, surprised. 

"I do, yes. Ask me about anyone and I probably heard stuff about them." 

* * *

"What about Lestrange?" Ophelia asked since she was being given the opportunity. "What do you know about the Lestrange brothers?" 

By now the girls were all in their compartment having gracefully avoided the boys. They could hear Sirius complaining on the way to the train about how he had to spend days with his family.

"Well, Lestrange is a famous name. They've all been more or less interested in dark magic and took that path be it through actions or titles. It is a feared family in the wizarding world." 

"What about Rabastan and Rodolphus Lestrange?" Ophelia pressed, gaining the interest of Lily and Alice too.

"Rabastan is a lot nicer than his older brother. Rodolphus is just like the rest of his family: dark, authoritarian and hateful. He dislikes muggle borns and half bloods and some pure bloods...yeah he hates pretty much everyone." Cissney mumbled thoughtfully.

"I'm usually not so sure of rumors but Rabastan does seem to be different than his brother. He tutored you after all." Lily told Ophelia.

"But they are evil and everyone knows it. We should be cautious, just in case. Once they both graduate, Hogwarts will be better."

"I doubt that," Alice mumbled remembering the second year Slytherins. 

* * *

For the rest of the ride, the girls took turns in asking Cissney about people from Hogwarts, testing her knowledge. It was fun when asking about Ravenclaws.

"McGrey is incredibly sassy. I met her in the girls' bathroom from the first floor and she was talking and talking." Cissney rolled her eyes at the memory making the rest laugh.

"Oh, speaking of the first floor's girls bathroom. I heard there's a ghost haunting it. I've never entered it but I heard Hufflepuff girls talk about it during Herbology." Alice started leaning towards Ophelia who was sitting right across her, next to Lily. 

"All I can hear in Herbology is Potter arguing with Remus who should plunk the plants and a bit of professor Sprout here and there." 

Lily chuckled, "That's because Remus gets cranky around plants." 

"Herbology is boring. I prefer detention with Spinnard over it." Ophelia added grumpily, leaning back and folding her arms in front of her. 

"I am still scared of him but yeah, he's taught us a lot for the past few weeks. Memorizing in class and then applying it in detention...it's like having him tutor us." Cissney laughed it off as a joke but Ophelia frowned.

* * *

"Beautiful London!" Pettigrew sighed contently. The chubby boy couldn't believe he was going to spend a few days home where he could eat whatever and learn nothing. 

"Tch, don't blind me with your happiness, Peter. I'm looking for my parents." Potter mumbled, his eyes searching for his father's figure. 

"I hate Christmas." Sirius muttered next to Remus, who unfortunately seemed as excited as Peter. "I'll have to dine with the family, ew." 

"Don't worry. We'll make sure to send you useful presents." Remus comforted his friend, making the boy feel better.

"You better, Lupi. I'll be looking forward to new utensils." Sirius added, moving his eyebrows up and down. 

* * *

"I'll send you all the presents as soon as I'll get a hang of civilization. My folks live in the middle of nowhere." Cissney said grumpily as she hugged each girl. 

Her grand parents were there early and she left with an unhappy expression. 

Lily found her parents next and hugged them before leaving with her mother. 

"Where are your parents? Aren't they coming?" Ophelia asked Alice who shook her head.

"They're waiting for me outside the station. Mum hates crowds." Alice explained, "What about yours?" 

Ophelia bit her lip, following her friend through the wall and on the muggle platform.

"I'm not spending Christmas with my parents. I'll go at a family friend." She tried her best to cover whose house exactly.

Alice walked out to her awaiting parents and Ophelia found herself alone in London. It was a bit scary because everyone passing her was either in a hurry or simply ignoring her altogether. 

"What now, Willy?" She asked her owl who stared right back at her, "Yep." It was awkward and the suspicious stares from passer byes were not helpful.

* * *

"Oi, get up. What are you doing by yourself here?"

The guard from the station had seen the kid from the moment she walked out with that big trunk of hers and an owl in a cage. It wasn't a sight he was accustomed with so, naturally, he let her alone thinking she was waiting for her parents. However, after two hours passed and wandering around the front of the station, he decided to interfere. 

"Where are your parents?" He asked when he reached her. She looked fine from every aspect, cleaned and fed so definitely not an orphan.

Ophelia looked up at the fat man and noticed first his amazingly stuffy mustache. It was hard to take her eyes off it afterwards and she couldn't focus on what he was saying because the mustache was moving continuously.

"Oi, are you listening to me? Should I call the Scotland Yard to take you-"

"That won't be necessary." A tall imposing man interfered, hurrying to the muggle guard. "Thank you for keeping an eye on her, officer. I will take her from now." 

The guard raised an eyebrow and put his arms on his shoulder, glancing between the dark haired man and the kid.

"You don't look like her father." The guard mumbled, taking a closer look at the kid. She looked nothing like the man, from the color of their eyes to their face shape.

"I'm not her father. I'm a family friend. Now, excuse us," He threw a polite smile, one that looked suspicious, before he looked at Ophelia expectantly. The girl chuckled but followed the man down the street and away from the curious eyes of the guard. "How could you stay there when you can easily invade my mind?" He scolded her, pushing her around the corner so they could move quicker.

"I-" She couldn't finish her sentence because a familiar feeling of diminishing space engulfed her, making her nauseous.


	39. The Cottage of Secrecy

Unlike what anyone would have expected, Spinnard’s cottage was very simple and quite flowery. It was winter and Ophelia hoped it would snow soon so the mold covering parts of the outside walls were going to be completely covered in white. However, looking at the house, it was so calming and it gave her a different point of view over Spinnard’s personal life.

“Are you going to enter?” He asked, glaring at her from the front door. Her luggage was there too, reminding her that she was indeed going to spend more than one day there.

“How did we get here so fast?” She asked, remembering Tom using the same method before.

“We Apparated. Now get in before that old hag sees us,” He muttered, shoving her inside when she finally reached him. Spinnard took a wary glance at the vicinity before he also entered.

* * *

The entrance hall she walked in was narrow, small and badly illuminated.

The further she entered, the more she felt that the house was stretching before her eyes. The living room was exactly like Spinnard's memory: large enough for a lot of people, the walls were a pale color, dark wood floor, and the furniture...the furniture was the strength of the living room, of the whole house probably.

Everything was old but not that kind of smelly and uncomfortable old. Standing in the middle of the living room, Ophelia swore she could feel the smell of old wood and could hear the whispers of the past through the walls and the floor.

Another door was toward the kitchen but it was closed momentarily and Spinnard did not seem to want to give her a full tour. The house had only one floor but it was enough. Anyway, it was much bigger on the inside, probably he used magic or his family used a spell before they died; if they died, of course. Spinnard never spoke about his family. 

Upstairs were four doors, all narrow enough to fit two on each wall, among the huge family portraits. Spinnard was walking in front, but she could hear Ophelia's voice when she saw a portrait of a very strict lady with spectacles and dirty blonde hair. Looking closer, she could swear the lady had the same cool blue eyes that Spinnard had.

"This is your room." Spinnard said, opening the door farthest from the staircase. 

The room was surprisingly feminine. Probably Spinnard prepared the room after talking to Tom, but even so he could not do everything in such a short time. The room was clean and it had a familiar vanilla smell. The wallpaper on the walls was a pale pink color and the floor was also light. A single window was enlightening the room just above the bed. Mostly, the room was empty but it had everything strictly necessary. Another white door led to a very small bathroom.

"This house is amazing." She said, still awestruck that someone so rigid like Spinnard had such a house. 

"Unpack and come downstairs for dinner." He ordered, placing her trunk at the bottom of the bed. 

"You cook?" She asked grabbing the cage from Spinnard. 

"No, I starve." He retorted sarcastically before he left. 

* * *

"Your family, are they alive?" 

Ophelia was surprised to come downstairs and find the door to the kitchen largely opened. She walked in and couldn't help but be impressed by the muggle equipped kitchen. It had everything that Molley's kitchen had and more.

"My parents live in Ireland. I live here by myself." He answered, using magic to make the table. "Sit." 

She complied silently and watched Spinnard put the food on the table. It looked very good.

"You seem to live a normal life." She threw randomly but it seemed to annoy the older man.

"I don't like it when people talk at the table." He replied coldly.

For the whole time they ate, Spinnard didn't mutter a word. Ophelia watched him closely and noted how mannered he was.

"Is your family pure-blooded?" She finally asked, that curiosity eating her up.

"No." He answered.

"Why does my father trust you then?" 

That definitely annoyed him because he glared at her. He swayed his wand and the table started to clean itself. 

She was clearly waiting for an answer but they heard two loud knocks and Spinnard's attention shifted. 

"Go answer." He gave another order, turning his back to her. 

Ophelia sighed and walked groggily to the front door. As soon as she opened it, her eyes widened. 

"What are you two doing here?" 

One was the blond she asked to practice dark magic with while the other was the boy who literally tucked Potions in her mind. 

"Do we look like we know? Our fathers sent us." Malfoy mumbled, visibly uncomfortable. 

"Are you going to let us in, Molley?" Rabastan asked, visibly calmer and accustomed with being around her. 

* * *

Two Slytherins, one Gryffindor girl and Spinnard. It looked very tense and it felt so too. The two boys were standing on the couch while Spinnard was sitting on the armchair. Ophelia was between the two boys, confused. 

"This holiday, and even afterwards at school, Rabastan will return as your Potions tutor while Lucius will fill you in on what they do in their dark magic lessons. I cannot teach you something so-" He stopped and scrunched his nose in disgust, offending the two boys' families. "There are still wizards who don't live in the real world. I do not want to leave such a legacy nor do I want to give these values forward." 

"Are you done insulting our families, professor?" Malfoy pitched in, annoyed from head to toe. "Why would we even help her? She's a mud-" 

"Because I say so. Is that enough Lucius? If you want, I can go report everything you do at Hogwarts to your father. Especially your fights with other students like maybe Evangeline Moore from Hufflepuff. Should I remind you where she is now?" 

"Where is she now?" Ophelia asked Rabastan.

"St. Mungo's." Rabastan's answer was just as confusing. "Hospital. He cursed her." The boy rearranged his answer. 

That made more sense. She turned to the blond and stared at him expectantly. Lucius was glaring at Spinnard before he turned to Ophelia.

"I hate you." 

"Spinnard hates me too but here we are in his house." She answered knowing it would annoy the blond. Instead, it made Rabastan laugh.

"It's alright professor. We'll take care of her." 

"If any of the other pure-blooded Slytherin students try to do anything to her, let them. Do not interfere." 

Ophelia scoffed but it seemed to be fine with the other two.

* * *

"So, having Malfoy and Rabastan teach me dark stuff is part the reason why you agreed to spend Christmas with me?" Ophelia asked once the two Slytherins left. They did so incredibly quickly, especially the blond who took care to emphasize how much he dislikes the arrangement. 

"You ask an awful lot of questions, don't you?" He asked, looking up from his book. He had been reading for a while now and it was near midnight.

"Usually my parents tell me to go sleep by now," She started randomly. 

"I'm not your parents. I don't care." He answered as coldly as before, "What do you want, Ophelia?" He asked when he noticed her intense stare from the other side of the room. 

Truthfully, she has been standing by the door for an hour already, watching him. Spinnard was complex, of course she knew that already, seeing him as both someone respectful but also a choffedtosser. But there was more to him, something was leading him through life.

"Tell me more about my father. If I'd ask Dumbledore he wouldn't really say anything I don't know already. He says a lot but at the core he means nothing." 

That was one accurate view of what Dumbledore was doing to her. Frankly, he agreed with the headmaster at first but it was getting complicated.

"Your father's name is Tom Marvolo Riddle. His parents are dead. He is a talented wizard but respect for him comes out of fear not out of sincere admiration. Is that enought for you?" 

"He told me before that we are the same, that we come from a long line of purebloods. He said we are descendants of Salazar Slytherin." Ophelia added walking towards the blue eyed chuffedtosser.

"That is true. He didn't lie to you. But for that blood to stay pure he had to combine it with another pure blood's. That is your mother; his cousin." 

Now that was something new and a bit strange. From the hints he could see on her face, Spinnard could only guess what she was thinking about. It was clearly not well understood as her face became pale.

"That is...uncommon." She finally spoke. "Do other families use this technique?" 

"More or less. But the Gaunts were the ones that really lived by this rule. Cousins, siblings, uncles and aunts; it was all to keep the blood of Salazar Slytherin pure." Spinnard explained in detail, his eyes set on hers. She seemed to be thinking about the problem very seriously.

"Is that why you hate me so much? Because I am the result of an old and peculiar tradition?" 

Spinnard sighed and put his book aside. He was not going to escape from her anytime soon, not with how persuasive she was.

"Go sleep already." He mumbled passing her to the stairs, "Stupid Knowingall comes tomorrow. With him will come someone I know."

"And my father knows all about them?" 

"I am not your father's slave, Molley. I do what I want." He hissed at her like a pissed off hound before he hurried up into his room.

* * *

What Ophelia learned the next morning was that Cerberus Knowingall never uses the common way when visiting someone. No, he literally barged inside her room through her window, waking her up when he fell over her bed and eventually on the ground. Thus, that day begun catastrophically. 

"You're lucky I can use magic or else I had to shatter the glass and it wouldn't have been a nice sight." Cerberus started once they got into the living room.

Spinnard was already there, with a man that looked odd. Moreover, when she entered, she caught glimpse of a smile on Spinnard's face, which was chilling to be sincere.

"Oh my, it's been a long time, Potter!" Cerberus said loudly, walking happily to the visibly older and shorter man. 

"Potter?" Ophelia asked, sensing a lot of awkwardness surfacing, "As in James Potter?"

"Hello, you must be Ophelia, am I right? I have heard about you from my son. My name is Fleamont Potter." The man said smiling kindly at her while his round eyes sparkled.

"Son. Of course. _Son_. The father of James Potter is here." Realizing what she said, still containing a polite mask, she looked around the room, searching for the loud Gryffindor.

"Oh, no, he's not here. Luce instructions were very clear." Fleamont's smile cracked around the corners as he remembered the reason he came, "My son won't hear about this meeting. I'd like him to be kept in the dark for as long as possible."

Ophelia scoffed, unconsciously really but it grabbed attention. There was a lot to say about James' perceptive abilities but if she'd voice her opinions out in front of his father, well, it wasn't the best idea.

"Why is Mr. Potter here?" She tried to save it by regaining her politeness. 

"You'd be surprised how well Fleamont duels. It's amazing really. I was already a working adult when he entered Hogwarts and I was pleased he was sorted in Gryffindor. I knew his father from an old acquaintance of my uncle's and-" Cerberus said patting Fleamont proudly on the back.

"Excuse me? You were already a working adult when he first went to Hogwarts? How old are you exactly?" She asked her eyes widening.

"As old as your dear father," was Spinnard's answer.

"Old enough," was Cerberus' answer.

Those were very different sentences yet said with the same awkward expression. Seeing the discomfort on his acquaintances' faces, Fleamont took the initiative.

"I've had my share of duels during school years. Luce told me that he'd like me to show you a few tricks during the holidays. Who knows, maybe you'll even duel my son one day. For fun of course." He added the last part quickly, not wanting them to fight out of hatred.

"For fun, of course." She repeated, her eyes glinting mischievously in the morning sunlight.

Unlike his son, Mr. Potter was adamant to begin as soon as possible which meant immediately. Spinnard and Cerberus left together using Floo Powder, which was something new to Ophelia. But because Mr. Potter was there, she couldn't really stare at the chimney until they came back.

So, she followed the man outside, into the yard where he quickly drew his wand but didn't attack her yet.

"I heard you have been practicing with Luce at school, believe me, James told me all about it. But dueling is not just about attacks, it's about the ability to defend yourself. I'd like if we could not use the deadly curses and learn how to control your magic." He started seriously, like he knew what he was speaking of.

"Expelliarmus!" She screamed but it didn't even reach Fleamont before he shrugged it off with only a sway of his wand. 

His eyes darkened a bit before he mumbled, "Stupefy," and she was thrown a few feet back.


	40. A Bunch of People

Dueling with Fleamont Potter was a lot more fun than Ophelia expected. Two hours passed as fast as two minutes and her condition was not bad, compared to a duel with Spinnard. Fleamont also liked to use diverse spells and curses that Ophelia never heard of before.

"Never forget that it's all in the wrist. Even a small stretch can make a difference between you and your opponent. Better watch him for a while and attack only if you really have to. It's best not to leave with wounds." He added while they walked back into the house.

"Mr. Potter, why did you accept to come? You don't really know me and have your own son to bother with." 

Mr. Potter was surprised how blunt she could be. It was also interesting how she chose her words, describing taking care of a child as a bother. 

"I have many reasons to help but there is one in particular." 

"Is it about Dumbledore?" 

"No. Well, I guess yes but Dumbledore is not the main reason why I accepted. Let's say it's a family favor." 

Ophelia raised an eyebrow, curious what that meant. Did Fleamont know Lillian in any way or maybe Peverell? She was ready to ask when she heard a familiar scoff. 

"Hurry up. Fleamont has a family to return to." Spinnard scolded her forgetting one small detail.

"I do too. I have the Molleys." 

Spinnard scoffed and rolled his eyes, taking her answer as nothing but random commentary. 

"He is not a bad man. You can trust him." Fleamont mumbled, patting the tense teenager on the shoulder. 

The green eyed girl looked up at the man innocently but even Fleamont could see the snake in her eyes. 

* * *

Lunch was far better than Ophelia expected. Cerberus seemed to have decided to stick around for a while and for some reason Spinnard didn't seem to mind. 

"Don't you have a family, Cerberus?" She asked while eating, disregarding Spinnard's cold attitude. 

"I do. I have my mum and dad and two older sisters. All of them like traveling, especially America." 

"I meant one of your own." Ophelia corrected herself, keeping her eyes on the brown eyed man. 

"That's not your business." Spinnard spoke for the first time but kept his eyes on the plate. 

"I suppose since both of you are meddling into my life, it's only normal for me to be curious who you are." She answered as if she was an adult which surprised the men. 

Cerberus sensed a sudden change in Spinnard and they both knew why the color in Ophelia's eyes darkened and she seemed to think more in depth. 

"Lunch is done. Go into your room and wait there until Rabastan comes." Spinnard ordered, getting up and starting to clean the table. 

Ophelia felt her hands tingle but shrugged it off and left the room. While she was passing through living room she could hear Cerberus' voice.

"He's watching us through her eyes. Maybe we shouldn't drag Potter into this. He still has a family unlike the rest of us." He said before he closed the door.

Ophelia narrowed her eyes at the wooden door before she went upstairs.

* * *

"I had a life before Dumbledore blackmailed me into his plan." Luce mumbled, sitting back down.

"Come on, Luce. We agreed to help because we've gotten the letters. We promised Vernon, all of us." 

"We're all going to die." Luce added,already imagining his demise. "And I bet my life that she will kill us, not her father. The connection between these two is more powerful than Dumbledore imagines." 

"That's why we should have someone gain her trust. Someone fit to be a role model." Cerberus commented, genuinely believing his words.

"And what makes you think I am fit? Aren't you the one who embarrassed me in front of the whole castle when you placed me on a broom?"

"That was only to make you loosen up." Cerberus chuckled bemusedly at the memory.

"I fell and broke my leg. The whole castle laughed and they started to call me Spinnered." Luce said coldly, clearly remembering that moment. 

"Sorry. But I don't regret it." 

Luce glared at the man,feeling the urge to let Tom have his way and give up on defense. 

"Just bother your head with Ophelia. I will do the rest." 

"Wait. Tom's been moving his puppets from the back, Rabastan being the best example. But Malfoy too?" 

"Lucius is not his father." 

Cerberus sighed and let his former colleague believe what he wanted. They both knew how manipulative could Tom be and with his interest in dark magic and all the strange stuff he used to do back in school, he could only wonder what level Tom has reached.

* * *

Rabastan arrived at exactly 13:45, not earlier and not later one minute. He came through the chimney, making Ophelia stare at him curiously.

"I am intrigued by this chimney." She started, her eyes widening at the object that should not be used the way it was being used.

"Let's just begin our lesson. You cannot use Floo Powder anyway." He answer grumpily.

"Why not?" She pestered, following him when Rabastan walked towards the stairs.

He didn't say anything else and opened a door hidden into the bottom of the stairs. It was a trap door that was most likely leading into the basement, which could have been just as big if not bigger than the house. Rabastan entered first, drawing his wand and whispering _Lumos_ in order to see what was in front of him. From what she could see from behind the broad shoulders of Rabastan, the basement looked a lot like a kitchen; a fully equipped kitchen with potions, ingredients and a lot more stuff that she had never approached at Hogwarts. In the far corner next to a library was a wide table with three cauldrons on it. One was extremely familiar.

"That's mine," She stated pointing at the one in the far left, "I always use it at school. Did Spinnard steal it?"

"No one would want to use it after how many failed potions have been done in it. It brings bad luck." Rabastan replied coolly, smirking at her offended expression.

"I do believe that my grades have gone up since you became my personal professor." She tried to smooth him, make him retract his rude words and maybe flatter him. It didn't work but he did seem amused by her attempt.

Rabastan rolled his eyes and pushed her towards the shelves of ingredients. Her green eyes were staring at stuff she knew and stuff she didn't want to know while Rabastan leaned against the table, next to her cauldron. 

"You choose what you want to make."

"I'm a second year and very bad at this particular subject." She admitted blankly. 

"Let your instinct guide you."

That was a peculiar advice but she did turn towards the number of ingredients and looked at them and their names. She hummed to herself and even tapped her leg nervously before she felt her hand twitch. From her point of view, she chose random ingredients with no idea what to do with them but from Rabastan's point of view, her hand fell over particular ingredients.

"What now?" She asked, getting everything to her cauldron. "What do I do with these?"

"Work." He said coldly, placing an older version of the Potions manual on the table. It looked as old as time but it had a lot of notes next to almost every paragraph.

Watching her search for her potion, Rabastan remembered the time before he started his fourth year at Hogwarts. It was on the day before school begun and the atmosphere at home was tense.

_"Father, Rabastan has been very talkative as of late. He's telling the members of other families of our little muggle problem." Rodolphus stated in a superior tone, glancing at his younger brother from the corner of her eye._

_"I only talked to Lucius and stupid Prewett eavesdropped. Just like always, he poked that big nose of his into our business." Rabastan hissed, though he tried to sound calm so that his father wouldn't be angered._

_"And whose fault is it, brother? You and Lucius are being thoughtless. There are muggles at Hogwarts and the Prewett family has always had a affinity for them."_

_"I didn't tell Lucius about the problem in Bury. We were talking about muggles and Arthur Weasley's stupid infatuation with them which caused an uproar at dinner that night."_

_"Then how did Abraxas Malfoy know about the Cloke family in Bury, hm?" Rodolphus was taunting his younger brother, that much was obvious, even for their father. "Did father tell him, because I do not think so. It was a family problem, not one we wanted to share."_

_"I did not tell Lucius about Bury. Maybe his father found out through the rumors at the Ministry. Every time you go visit father, you're always boasting about something or another, aren't you Rodolphus?" The young boy hissed, losing his patience rapidly._

_Rodolphus was ready to draw his wand at the insinuation but the doors opened, surprising the three Lestrange men and stopping any_ _kind of altercation that could happen._

_"Aeron Lestrange, I see you're playing judge even at home." The silky yet cold voice and those eyes that fell over the elder Lestrange entered the office as if it was his own house. Unlike Rabastan and Rodolphus who didn't know who that man was, their father rose instantly and walked to him with wide eyes._

_"It's nothing, my Lord. Please enter. Is there something I can help you with?" What was an incredibly strict and hateful judge in court suddenly transformed into a sheep._

_Tom's eyes wandered towards the two young boys and he smiled, seemingly pleased of what he was seeing. Rabastan felt a chill down his spine but kept his imposing figure. He wasn't the type to ramble and seemed quite a boy of his word, silent and with great amount of patience. Unlike his brother, who was indeed boastful and maybe too proud and self assured of his quality, Rabastan was still learning._

_"I will take care of your problems in Bury but I need something in return." Tom stopped and cracked a tiny and polite smile. "I need Rabastan to keep an eye on someone. It's only a small favor compared to what I have done for you in the past."_

_Aeron Lestrange's eyes widened, remembering what that was and how Tom Marvolo Riddle killed the elder Lestrange for him._

_"Of course. Rabastan will do anything you ask."_

And thus Rabastan ended up in the basement of professor Spinnard's house, watching Ophelia make a potion, or at least try to. Whenever she was focused, he could see traces of the glint in her father's eyes. It didn't seem like she was aware just who her father was. 

By the time she was done, an hour and a half passed and the potion did not look at all like in the picture but it wasn't that bad either. 

"Do you even know what you made?" Rabastan asked, raising an eyebrow at the girl.

"Polyjuice Potion. Good for shifting into other people when needed." She answered, one eye glancing at the manual on the table. "Yep. All will be good in another month...when I have to add the last ingredient and finally use it."

"Right. If it works, that is." 

His words were not encouraging at all but it didn't seem to crash her spirit. A loud sound as if someone fell on the ground shook the basement, making the two students look up. The trap door must have been removed because she could clearly hear Cerberus yell.

"We have new visitors! Come up, come up!"

Ophelia was ready to leave when Rabastan grabbed her hand and looked down at her with a knowing glint.

"Don't tell anyone what you discuss with me or Lucius during out tutoring time. Not one friend, including Snape."

* * *

Once arrived upstairs, Ophelia's eyes widened at the man in the living room, who looked very uncomfortable. It was the same one she met when she arrived with the train. 

"This is Rubeus Hagrid, former colleague of ours." Cerberus introduced the half-giant man which in return nodded.

"I thought I came here because dad allowed it. Somehow, it doesn't feel like Christmas." Ophelia said bluntly looking into Hagrid's big brown eyes. "No offense, of course. But you are definitely not Santa and it's too early for presents." 

"If you keep this attitude, you won't get presents at all. But I can promise you a lot more homework." Spinnard's cold and authoritarian voice boomed in the living room. "Hagrid is not here for you. I told you already, I do not take orders from your father." 

"Yet." She mumbled. It was very faint but granted to being very close to her, Cerberus and Rabastan heard her.


	41. The Father Sees Everything

Winter is usually the coldest time of the year, especially when one isn't living in the city but in a wider place surrounded by nature mostly. It is a lot colder in a village.

Ophelia drew the covers closer to her, feeling her feet getting cold. But it still wasn't enough because the coldness seemed to be creeping under the covers as well. 

Her eyes opened when it became so cold inside the room that her breaths became vapors in the air. 

She first looked at the window above her bed but it was closed. Then she got out of bed and realized there was water on the floor. She retracted immediately on the bed and covered herself. 

From the corner of her eye she saw something sneaking inside her room through a small crack of the door towards the bathroom. It was like a shadow hiding in the dark corners of the room before it reached the bed and crawled up. Her eyes widened as she backed into the wall, tightening the covers around her. 

It was a snake, one that seemed a bit bigger than normal but dangerous nonetheless. The snake hissed and kept his eyes on the girl before Ophelia's ears started to ring loudly. She frowned and held her head in her hands, the ringing accentuating. 

_"Listen to me, Ophelia. You will receive a present on the night of 25th. Never take it off."_

It was a whisper that she heard before. It was faint and charming and now, she was sure it was Tom. 

Next morning she could swear everything was a dream until she heard hissing once again. She stopped on the stairs and looked around but there was nothing.

"Morning!"

Cerberus was a man who loved mornings and seemed ready to do his chores for the day. When he saw her frown, he raised an eyebrow.

 "Are you alright? You look concerned." 

"I'm fine. It was just very cold last night." She avoided telling him the rest. 

"Of course it was. It's December." He mumbled, passing her down towards the kitchen with a grumbling stomach, "I hope Luce left something for us in there." 

"Why? Is he not home?" Ophelia asked, running after him.

She was a bubble of curiosity and Cerberus knew it was hard for him to contain it. He wasn't Luce and couldn't just boss her around. 

"He's out." He answered, having the young girl follow him closely with a lot of questions.

"Out where? Is he at Hogwarts?" 

"No. I don't know." 

"Is he with Dumbledore?" 

Cerberus chuckled bemusedly, stopping and turning to face the girl. Those eyes were looking at him with so much innocence that he actually felt a bit bad of what they were planning. 

"I don't know where he is. If you don't believe me, you can just rummage through my mind." 

"Oh, right. Right," She almost forgot about that. Last time she hurt Cerberus by luring him into a dark and slightly altered memory. She avoided entering anyone's mind afterwards but maybe she shouldn't. 

* * *

The one person that arrived after breakfast was the half giant man. Hagrid proved to be a very kind man with a good sense of humor. He had very different interests compared to others, for example he told her about hippogriffs, creatures she didn't believe existed. 

"What about unicorns? Have you seen one?" She asked with sparkling eyes. 

"'Course I did! Great creatures but you shouldn' harm one. Bad things happen to those who harm unicorns." He advised before he smiled at her. His beard was bigger than last year but he seemed to haven't aged one year.

"That's amazing. What else is there? Mermaids. Are there mermaids?" 

"Right they are. Merpeople live at Hogwarts too in the lake. They're usually nice but...it's hard to keep a chat with them." He continued, "You know, with their differen' language and all." 

That was such an amazement that Ophelia didn't register the rest of the sentence. She couldn't believe that unicorns and mermaids were real, some even as close as Hogwarts. 

Hagrid left when Spinnard came back. She didn't get the chance to ask him anything because Mr. Potter arrived a few moments later. 

"Good morning, Ophelia!" 

The father was definitely an influence on his son.

* * *

That continued as Hagrid came over quite a few times to give and get things from Spinnard. Ophelia couldn't look into what exactly was that they were exchanging every time because Cerberus was teaching her how to fly, Rabastan was helping her concentrate for long enough to make a potion and Fleamont Potter was teaching her how to duel. Now that that was clear, I bet you wonder what is Lucius Malfoy's role.

Well, it is pretty clear that it wasn't Tom's idea to involve Lucius in Ophelia's preparation which automatically meant he had to lie to his father where he was going. Luckily, he didn't have to come as often as Rabastan because Lucius wasn't a great dark wizard just yet. 

"What's this?" Ophelia asked one day during Malfoy's dark arts lesson. It was far from that with the way the blond was looking down at her from his imaginary pedestal, but it was also funny. 

"It's a goblet. You drink from one every day at school." He explained sarcastically. "It's not important what it is but what it can be."

"What do you mean?" She asked curiously, "What can you do with a goblet?"

"Curse it. You can use a cursed object to inflict a curse on someone else. If you're good enough, it cannot be traced back to you."

"So I curse an object that will get to someone and that someone will be cursed because they have the cursed object." She repeated in a simpler way. "That's not bad," She mumbled, her eyes darkening at the idea.

"Yes. Not bad in theory but you need a certain affinity for such a task. Affinity you clearly don't have with how short your attention span is during classes." He had to offend her somehow, he just had to. Luckily, she was taking him very lightly compared to how serious he was. 

"So, how do I curse this goblet? Can I curse it so that everyone who drinks from it will choke?" 

That question raised a few suspicions with the blond, mostly because he thought he was going to be the victim but Ophelia had bigger plans.

Once their hour was up, Malfoy left Ophelia alone with the cursed goblet. Looking down at the object, her mind swirled with the bad memories of Luce and how his hatred made her decide to meet her father. It was his fault and he was still keeping many secrets from her. How could she trust someone who was putting up a mask even around his friends? No, Luce Spinnard was not worth all the trust Tom had invested in him and she wasn't going to mistake his so called kindness. 

Thus, at dinner that day, Ophelia watched Spinnard's every move. She placed the cursed goblet along with the others and smiled when she saw Cerberus taking it out and putting butterbeer in it. She bit her lip when Cerberus put the goblet on the table, next to his own plate. 

"What's that?" She asked pointing at the beverage.

"Butterbeer. You want a sip?" Cerberus asked smiling boyishly.

Ophelia reached for the goblet but Spinnard glared at both of them and forced her hand down. She glowered at the older man and reached for it again, touching it slightly before the same dark haired professor grabbed it. Her eyes widened when he rose it close to his lips, the moment happening too slowly for her taste. Ophelia swore she noticed his lower lip touching the goblet and sincerely, her heart was beating so loudly that she was surprised nobody could hear it. Growing a bit nervous she started to lean forward, her eyes set on Spinnard's lips. The blue eyed teacher was ready to drink it when he stopped and put the goblet on the table. 

"It smells different." He stated, making Cerberus frown and with confusion all over his face, take the goblet and drink the butterbeer in a long gulp.

Ophelia bit her lower lip harder and leaned back on the chair with a guilty conscience. When Cerberus started to choke on his own saliva, the girl licked her lips and sighed, her eyes traveling towards Spinnard. Her hands grasped her pants under the table, annoyed of that subtle grin on his pale face. Spinnard was enjoying every second of her failure. 

* * *

For the rest of the week, Ophelia tried to curse different clutters in order to curse Spinnard but every chance she got, Cerberus interfered and suffered instead. It was not a nice sight to see the good guy being nudged towards what Spinnard believed was an attempt at a cursed object so in the end, she just gave up. 

"He's an evil man. I've never seen someone so hateful."

"You clearly haven't met many wizards. Students at Hogwarts are nothing compared to wizards from real life." Rabastan explained while watching her stir. "Professor Spinnard is weak. Out there, he's just a half-blood who likes dark artifacts and potions. He's part of the laughing stock, if I am blunt."

"Then how did he convince you to tutor me during the break? Wouldn't you prefer to be home rather than here with me?"

Rabastan didn't think once before he answered, "He didn't convince me. I'm here because I have to obey the orders of my father."

"Aren't you a good son," She mumbled sarcastically but it made her feel bad as soon as she spoke it. From Rabastan's stoic face, she was sure she just took a step back in their relationship. "You are a good son." She repeated in a firmer voice, trying to alter the result.

The older boy looked down at her and sighed. If only she knew what was happening in the world, she wouldn't be so petty. The number of muggles entering wizarding grounds was increasing and so was the number of annoyed pure-bloods. It was only a matter of time until the pure-bloods will unite against the common enemy. They only needed a leader and from the looks of it, there was one person above everybody else and that was the Dark Lord, also called Voldemort and coincidentally, Ophelia's father. 

* * *

One week passed quickly, maybe because of all the activities she had, but one thing was for sure: Spinnard was disappearing for longer and longer periods of time and it was disturbing how he'd always come back before 7 in the afternoon in order to dine together. Cerberus and Mr. Potter were secretive and Rabastan had no idea what was happening -not that he cared- thus there was no one she could ask.

On the morning of 24th December, Ophelia woke up feeling her heart beat fast in anticipation.  Only a few hours were keeping her from the bliss of the Christmas morning where usually she'd wake up only to find presents under the tree. It was such a busy week and she ended up forgetting to send anything to her housemates. 

"So, you need presents as soon as possible? I can arrange that." Cerberus said that at breakfast and vanished afterwards, through the chimney most probably.

It was worrying how there was no lesson on that day which gave her enough time to feel guilty and ignorant. Spinnard saw her pace in the living room and ignored her for most of the time but two hours later and she was still in the same spot doing the same thing. 

"Trust Knowingall. He's always had a flair for choosing presents." 

"Did you get presents from him and Peverell?" She asked, not really assured yet.

It seemed like her question reached deep in Spinnard's memories because he actually smiled, genuinely so. 

"I did. There was a time when my biggest troubles were getting good grades and making my friends happy." He seemed to miss his student years a lot but when his eyes fell on her, that wonderful nostalgia transformed into the usual cold exterior, "Those times are over now. They've been getting worse and worse and soon, a war will break out."

"How does that make it my fault? You're making everything my fault."

"You shouldn't have been born." The man spoke so nonchalantly even though those words hurt her. 

Ophelia was a child and everything Spinnard was doing was amplifying her emotions and her loyalty to her father. He was selfishly attacking the subject instead of getting closer to her and gaining her trust. Once those emotions have been triggered, her eyes darkened and emptied of life. She looked like a puppet and in that particular moment, she was a puppet.

"But you're the one who gave Lillian to him." She started, her voice so soft and calm, as if every fiber of her being was in perfect harmony with the hatred in her heart," You could have said no, you could have told Vernon or Dumbledore but you didn't. You obeyed Tom because you wanted to be like him. Let's be blunt, _Luce_. You don't hate me, you hate yourself because I have Lillian's green eyes." 

For a second there, he seemed worried but that didn't last long. He was proud and he knew what were his faults, he didn't have to be scolded by the one who destroyed his peaceful life.

"The father sees everything, doesn't he? I guess what muggles say is true; the eyes are the mirror to one's soul." He spat out angrily, sounding like a pissed off wolf. If the light didn't return in Ophelia's eyes sooner, he would have growled and shown his true character.

Luce Spinnard was a wolf in cheap clothes and Tom Riddle had chosen him specifically for that trait.   

* * *

When Cerberus arrived home, Spinnard was in the kitchen, drinking rum from his personal reserve. The owl-like man sighed heavily and fell on the chair across the dark haired professor.

"I guess something happened while I was gone?"

Spinnard poured more rum in his glass and scoffed.

"You do know you're pushing her away instead of pulling her closer. At this rate, she'll be completely loyal to him and we won't stand a chance." Cerberus was only making Spinnard feel worse but he was only stating facts. "I bought presents for everyone based on what I know from her memories. There's a muggle that seems to be close to Ophelia. I think that being the first wizards she met, Lily Evans and Severus Snape can help us."

"The bookworm and the dark magic fanatic," 

"They're better than you, that's for sure. At least be nice to Ophelia on Christmas. I bought her something after I sent everything to her friends. Say it's from you and-"

"No."

Cerberus rolled his eyes at Luce's childish behavior but dropped the subject. Luce could be very stubborn if he wanted to.


	42. We Lose Some, We Gain Some

On the night of December 25th, a sharp brown owl was flying back to his master after sending the last package to Spinner's End, Cokeworth, Midlands. He was flying peacefully above London when his ears caught on a hiss. It was coming from down below, from a house hidden between other houses. The owl landed on a railing and listened because that was everything he could do; he couldn't see into the house because it had protection all around.

"I can't believe you're so excited for the Christmas dinner. Stop being so preppy, Reg."

"We'll have the Malfoys over and the rest of the Blacks. But I heard mum that someone new will visit us tonight."

Sirius Black scoffed and rolled his eyes at his younger brother. They were outside, escaping their mother's screams. Sirius was tired of the same accusations. It would begin with the usual  _How could you disrespect us and deny changing houses?_ and go along _How can you befriend mudbloods?_ and the newest one, _How could you send such a message to me? Family should come first._ Life was hard in the Black household.

"Oi, what's that?" Regulus asked, noticing a stoic object in the form of an owl, standing with its eyes closed.

Sirius turned towards the owl and blinked in confusion before walking closer to it. The owl opened his eyes and stared up into those black orbs, tilting his head to the side when he caught sight of the younger boy following his brother.

"This is Molley's," Sirius mumbled, remembering him especially because he bit when approaching him. 

"He doesn't seem to have any presents for you. I guess there's someone who hates you more than mother." Regulus said bemusedly, which might have been true. Sirius and Ophelia were house mates and classmates and lately, partners in mischief. But nowhere near friends.

"What's he doing here? Molley's staying with a family friend from what James told me."

"Who is this Molley?" Regulus asked curiously, glancing at the brown owl. 

Sirius couldn't respond because the owl moved his wings and flied away. But Regulus remained with a question and he was sure he will find out the answer, be it good or bad.

* * *

"Merry Christmas!" Cerberus yelled opening the door widely to her door. "Wake up, little fox! You've gotten gifts!" He announced, waiting patiently for Ophelia to wake up.

"It's really early in the morning, isn't it?" She asked rubbing her eyes tiredly.

"Very." Cerberus replied before he walked out, leaving the door open.

Ophelia sighed and fell with her back on the bed, spreading her hands and groaning loudly. With closed eyes, the witch felt something on the right side of the bed, something under the covers. Unveiled, it was a beautiful ring, made of silver with a crest in form of a serpent. Looking at it closer, there was one eye on the serpent and it looked like a very small ruby. It was beautiful and Ophelia was so touched that she teared up.

"Come or I'll open your presents myself!" Cerberus screamed from downstairs.

Ophelia rubbed her eyes and wiped her nose before she put the ring on. It was perfect. 

The day continued rather well with lots of butterbeer for Cerberus, his mug filling itself every time he'd gulp it down. The brown haired man seemed way too happy compared to the cold professor. Spinnard was standing on his favorite armchair, a cup of tea in his hand, looking uncomfortable.

Overall, Ophelia received presents from each of her friends, including the loud mouth Potter and dark locks annoying Black. The difference was that those presents were obviously bought by someone other than them. Lily bought her a muggle book and Cissney bought her an empty globe.

"It's a Rememberall. There's red smoke forming inside when you forget something." Cerberus explained, sustaining a grin and fond look.

"Does it show it to me? What I forgot, I mean." 

Cerberus seemed a bit confused as he thought about a response.

"Well, no. It just informs you that you forgot something." 

Ophelia hummed and nodded, finding the object useless but still happy that she received it. Another present that she genuinely liked, except her father's, was Snape's. He sent her a phial of potion, a bit strange looking.

"That Severus Snape has too much time on his hands. Do you know what that is?" Cerberus asked, once again his mug filling by itself. 

"A potion. Perfectly made, probably." She replied pulling it closer to her eyes. 

"It's Baruffio's Brain Elixir. It increases the brain power." Spinnard said coldly, eyes falling on the sparkly new jewel on her finger. 

"That's helpful. But if you believe it's too hard during an exam, just read their minds." Cerberus said jokingly, being hit immediately by a flying object. "I wasn't serious, of course! Didn't have to hit me, Luce. Why not give her our present now?" 

"Our?" She asked sarcastically, her eyes falling over Spinnard.

"Here," Cerberus took something from his back pocket and handed it to her with bright eyes.

It was a book but slightly different from the muggles'. It looked ancient and worn out but it was truly beautiful. The title was completely unfamiliar, though she might have heard her mother talk about it before under different circumstances.  **The Tales of Beedle the Bard**. The cover felt soft at hand and once she opened it, carefully as to not harm it in any way, she couldn't help but caress it gently.

"Thank you. Was this mother's?" She asked looking up at Cerberus with tears in her green eyes.

"It was Peverell's," Spinnard interfered, "He wanted to give it to you on your 11th birthday but circumstances didn't let him to." 

"Is Peverell dead? Did father kill him?" She asked, looking down at the book. Her ring was shining beautifully on her finger while her hand was resting on the red cover. It was like two different pieces of her past placed together.

"That's hard to say. Nobody knows what happened to him. He just vanished." Cerberus said with a tint of sadness. That changed quickly when he finished yet another mug of butterbeer. "Let's not dwell on the past and look towards the future!" He exclaimed smiling at the witch.

Truthfully, Christmas was far more entertaining with Cerberus Knowingall. He was a loud drunkard and his personality was the same as a teenager's. But it was lively and even though she spent most of her free time with him and Spinnard, those two weeks meant a lot to her.

* * *

"Hogwarts, my dear! I have dearly missed you!" James Potter exclaimed. 

"D'you think he'll fall on his knees and give the floor a smooch?" Cissney asked, walking between Alice and Ophelia. 

"That would be entertaining but I don't think he will." Lily answered, keeping her voice low so Potter won't hear.

"By the way, Pheli, how was Christmas? I have to say I was surprised when I saw your gift." Cissney started smiling at the brunette, "I didn't expect your owl to find me." 

"I hope you liked it." Whatever Ceberus bought you, she would have wanted to continue but better not. 

"I did! I hope you liked mine too!" Cissney smiled widely making it hard to answer bluntly. Ophelia nodded and so the peace was not disrupted. 

Dinner that day was incredibly messy and loud. Dumbledore had to rise and silence the students twice in order to actually welcome everyone back. Next to McGonagall, standing proudly at the staff table with a sneer was Spinnard. He kept his eyes on his plate for most of the time and only when necessary did he raise his head and conversed. 

"Spinnard seems as excited to be back as a troll falling into a lake. Believe me, they don't like water nor know how to clean up." Frank Longbottom started the conversation.

"He doesn't look like he had a jolly Christmas. He's probably spent it all alone in his one room house among a lot of dark artifacts."

"Or in a pub, drinking his sorrows away." 

Ophelia raised an eyebrow and listened with amusement to all the scenarios the boys could think of. It was funny to compare Spinnard's image at home with his image anywhere else; it wasn't much of a difference in personality but there was definitely one in looks. 

Unconsciously, Ophelia's eyes moved on the Slytherin table, not somewhere particularly but overall. Unconsciously, again, her eyes fell over Rabastan Lestrange, who was smiling at a girl from Ravenclaw which was very curious.

"Cissney, who's that blonde that seats right across Gethsemane? The know-it-all from Ravenclaw," The brunette asked the person who most definitely knew everything about everyone at Hogwarts.

It took Cissney a few minutes to figure out who that girl was but in the end she nodded to herself and went back to eating her dessert, adding through bits, "That's Helena Trainer, a fifth year Ravenclaw. Why?"

"Oh, a muggle born, isn't she?"

Cissney raised an eyebrow and turned to Lily, curious and confused why Ophelia was suddenly so interested in blood ranks and Ravenclaws.

"How do you know if she is a muggle born or not? She may be a half blood," Alice interfered, genuinely interested where the brunette witch was leading to.

"The name. Rabastan, Rodolphus, Lucius, Sirius, Cissney...there's obviously a pattern here." Ophelia replied as if that was a simple answer and they should have thought about it by themselves.

"I'm a pureblood too and my name is James."

"Yes, a bit common. But your father's name makes up for it." She mumbled the last bit, looking down at her plate and starting to play with her leftovers. "So, how was your break, Potter?" Ophelia replied, innocently diverting their attention to something else.

James raised an eyebrow and exchanged a suspicious look with Sirius before he spoke. 

"Didn't know you were interested in my personal life, badge. Glad to know we've become so close." He said with a wide smile. having no idea what his father has been doing for the past two weeks but getting a suspicious vibe from the green eyed witch.

"We haven't, though." She mumbled, drawing Remus' attention.

* * *

After dinner, the long trails of students of every age were crowding most of the castle, which wasn't exactly in Spinnard's favor. He had to stand at the staff table and eat as if the last two weeks haven't happened and Ophelia's mind wasn't being manipulated by her father.

"Going to read that letter a thousand times more, Luce?" Cerberus asked, morphing right in front of his former colleague's eyes. "We both know Vernon trusted very few people and no matter how much you dislike it, Dumbledore was one of them."

"It's not Dumbledore that I don't trust, it's her. In case you haven't noticed, Rabastan and Lucius are Slytherins from pureblooded dark wizards.  Her closest friend is also a Slytherin that's been swaying between goodness and darkness."

"And you're pushing her towards them with your insufferable personality. You were Vernon's best friend so why can't you treasure what he treasured?" Cerberus asked, connecting his hands behind his back and straightening his posture while walking. 

"I'm not Vernon. I can't sacrifice more than I already have. Tom will kill me if what I teach his daughter ends up being in his disfavor."

Cerberus nodded with a blank expression, which wasn't exactly a sight Luce was accustomed to. The owl man stopped and tilted his head to the side, expecting someone to catch up. The thing that ran towards them was a black kitten with wide blue eyes that seemed to be judging the cold wizard.

"Who are you more afraid to disappoint, Luce? Your best friend or the wizard you admired during your school years? They're both watching you fervently, you know," the owl man spoke in such a low tone that Luce was curious if that wasn't Vernon talking instead of the goofy Quidditch player.

"I have already disappointed Vernon in the moment I killed Lillian's mother." Luce hissed, his eyes darkening at the memory.

"The past doesn't matter. The future does and if you don't work with the rest of us, you may as well go and become one of Lord Voldemort's henchmen. That's how he calls himself now, doesn't he? A Lord." Cerberus continued, his features morphing back into a brown owl before he flied towards what looked like Dumbledore's office.

Spinnard sighed heavily and rubbed his face, feeling like he just fought with his best friend. One faint yet audible hiss drew Luce's attention to his surroundings. It was dark and that corridor was not one of the usual routes students took. The hiss seemed to linger in the air and even lure Luce up the stairs towards the Astronomy Tower. Knowing fully well what he was walking into, the dark haired wizard followed the hiss into what he believed was an unfortunate and not needed meeting.

"I should have expected you to be here and not him." Spinnard started, the elegant yet hateful man turning to look at the professor. "He's not going to visit me ever again, is he? He has his henchmen after all."

"That tongue of yours will be the death of you, Spinnard." 

"Aeron, is that the way you talk to someone as old as I am? Where's that characteristic Lestrange politeness? Or did you lose it all in the courtroom, with the dark wizards that you exonerated?"

Aeron Lestrange growled but didn't step from the shadows of the night. A thin, long snake groveled from behind his legs towards Spinnard but did not reach him. There was enough space between them for Spinnard to defend himself but one look in those eyes and he knew he was being watched by the reason behind all his troubles.

"I can only guess the _Lord_ has deeds for me, doesn't he?"

"Do not let anyone enter his daughter's mind. There is a furry little problem running around Hogwarts, trying to enter her consciousness. The Lord wants you to remove the pest." Aeron informed the elder, a smirk playing on his lips at Luce's frown. "Not so talkative now, are we, Spinnard?" 

But how could he say something when Tom was more or less forcing him to kill his best friend.


	43. That's What Muggles Do

"So, let me see if I understand. If get on this stick, it will jump with me?"

"You have to push a bit on it in order to work but pretty much, yes. It jumps with you."

Arthur Weasley's eyes haven't sparkled so brightly ever since he saw muggle children fight over a comic book that seemed to have a little car as a present. Those two boys were savage now that he was thinking about it but this new toy that Cissney brought to Hogwarts was funnier.

Once he pushed a bit, the ginger boy started to jump around the common room as if someone cursed him. 

"This is amazing!" He said, almost falling over Charlie Wood, who was writing a list of schemes for the new Quidditch team. It seemed they had to refine their game or else Slytherins will win the Quidditch House Cup. 

"It's not going too well, Charlie?" James asked with a tinge of smugness. He wasn't allowed to play just yet and just because Charlie didn't see James' full potential did not mean he didn't have it. "Maybe you should let old Gideon Prewett prepare for his future and let me take his place."

"That is not going to happen, Potter!" Fabian Prewett screamed from the top of the stairs towards the boys' dormitory. "Gideon's dream is to play Quidditch at a professional level!" Fabian added, knowing his brother the best.

Potter scoffed loudly, rolling his eyes for everyone to see his skepticism. Sirius was reading a book and stealing glances at the way Ophelia seemed to be playing with a ball. He squinted a bit but was sure she was fumbling with a Rememberall.

"Wood's being a prick and nobody, _nobody_ seems to take it to the heart!"

"That's because we are not directly involved." Remus muttered, not raising his head from his own book, which was far thicker than Sirius'. "But if you make it to the team, then everyone we'll cheer for you." The smart boy added knowing it will flatter the glasses boy.

"I want to watch you fly, Potter."

There was a small, very quiet break in which if you were listening closely, you could hear Potter's mind registering Ophelia's randomness.

"Do-Do you?" He stuttered out once he realized what she said.

"Yes. I believe I enjoy watching you fly. It looks elegant." 

One book fell on the floor and it wasn't clear whose it was because the others just put everything aside and turned their attention on the two second years. 

"Have you eaten some of those clay-like cupcakes at dinner? Or maybe-"

"These two weeks have been enlightening, to say the least." She answered, fumbling with the ring that she hasn't taken off once. "I want to enjoy every day here, at Hogwarts and watching you play Quidditch is enjoyable." 

"Well, that's a surprise. Last time I told you anything about Quidditch, you ignored me all together." Charlie pitched in, walking next to Potter who was still dumbstruck. 

"I said I enjoy watching you fly and play not talking about it. It's boring from the moment you start talking about brooms."

"But brooms are important in Quidditch, badge. You fly on them, remember? They have to be fast and steady or else you're just hanging in the air."

"True that, Potter. Besides, I don't always talk about brooms. I also talk about-" That was it before Ophelia turned her attention on the Rememberall she was fumbling with. She could still hear Charlie's voice speaking but the words were not reaching her at all. 

"You're lucky Potter's here or else Charlie would notice you're ignoring him again." Remus mumbled, being the closest person to her spot near the window. "By the way, I heard you spent Christmas with a family friend. Is that a wizard? Because you seem to have missed something here." 

Always perceptive that Remus Lupin, even as a 12 years old boy. Ophelia chuckled and shook her head, her dark locks swaying with the movement. 

"Nothing happened during the break. Nothing at all." She lied with a content smile

* * *

But that couldn't be said afterwards, because it was more than obvious that Ophelia's DADA skills have improved. Detention with Spinnard ended and so classes where the only times one could really see the change. But even so, there was one class that was still burdensome for both the professor and his student.

"You've been practicing a lot this summer, haven't you?" Severus asked, partnering up with Ophelia like all the times when Lily was snatched away.

"Does it show? Rabastan helped me even during the holidays." She commented, for the first time in two years having done everything on the board correctly. "Aren't you going to ask how could Rabastan Lestrange tutor me when he didn't have to?"

"No." He answered, being careful to add the bat spleen to their Swelling Solution. "My holidays have been dreadful, to put it in a simple description." 

"Thank you for the potion, Sev. I'll use it wisely." Ophelia muttered with a smile on her lips but the Slytherin scoffed, knowing well that 'wisely' meant 'cheating' more than anything. "Also, has Malfoy decided when he'll teach dark arts? The new term has begun and I have to-"

"No. If the others see you in that class, you can say goodbye to your peaceful days in Hogwarts." The boy mumbled, leaning towards her with his owlish eyes narrowed at her. "Don't be foolish and stay away from Slytherins."

"But that's exactly what muggles do; when they gain interest, they pester to the point they endanger themselves."

"But you're not a muggle, Ophelia." Severus hissed, irritated that someone could be so blinded by their selfishness. "What happens in that room will most likely mirror in your behavior around your friends. You're not a secretive person, as you can see. You have been telling me everything that's happened for the past two years. You're naive to believe that-"

"We're friends." She interrupted, taking him by surprise, "We're friends, aren't we, Severus? That's why I tell you almost everything. Or am I just your Lily informer?"

For a moment, the class seemed to have shifted into an empty room and the greasy haired boy couldn't form his thoughts into words. He tried to deny it but one glimpse at the Gryffindor table in the corner and all his happy memories with the redhead surfaced into his mind, surpassing the mystery and trouble he's got into ever since he met the brunette witch. 

Ophelia looked down at her cauldron, the potion boiling inside calmly. She could enter her friend's mind and see the answer even if it wasn't the one she wanted to hear. The 12 years old girl was disappointed but that emotion seemed to soften up as she looked down at her ring. As long as she had her father, everything was going to be alright.

* * *

Lucius Malfoy was on his way to his last class of the day, double Potions, when he stopped mid-step on the stairs down towards the dungeons. He knew who was the short person hiding in the shadows, keeping so close to the walls now that she had nothing to hide behind. 

"I would have been flattered if someone of higher skill would have followed me but not you, Molley. You're incredibly bad at it." He said, continuing his way to the classroom.

"I want to know when will the dark arts lessons begin." She stated firmly. 

The blond sighed, irritated that someone so naive wanted to enter a world that she couldn't even imagine, not to say she had the traits of a Gryffindor and those were not exactly what the dark arts were about. Even worse was that professor Spinnard told him to practically let her fall into any danger there might be and not use a finger to help her out of it. 

"Ask Snape. He's your friend, isn't he?" The blond started, not expecting the answer that followed.

"Not now, he's not."

Malfoy raised an eyebrow and glanced at her over his shoulder, his blue eyes looking down on her short form -at least compared to him. As his eyes inspected her with a glazed look, apathetic to her emotions and needs, he caught sight of her right hand. She was gripping the side of her robe and something on her finger was sparkling. He couldn't see exactly what it was but he swore it glistened in a green light, which was not exactly the favorite color of a Gryffindor.

"Maybe it's time you turn for help to one of your house mates. You'll never be a Slytherin so you better stop meddling into our business. Whatever my house does, it shouldn't concern you."

"But Spinnard said-"

"I don't care what professor Spinnard said. Forced by circumstances, I did give you a glimpse of the dark arts but that's all. Rabastan won't help you either. From now on, if you want so badly to do what your house detests, you should do it by yourself." Malfoy hissed before he turned around and hurried to class, leaving a little girl all by herself in the corridor.

Watching Ophelia from the side, the black fur ball sighed, though it looked like it had sneezed. He was a bit disappointed that she wasn't asking Cerberus or Dumbledore what she should do with this new interest into dark arts but he also knew it was deeply rooted in her as a person and her father's influence was growing every passing day. Even so, instead of going into the common room where her friends were happily chatting and doing homework, she chose to return to the DADA classroom and spend some time in there, staring at her serpent ring. The kitten took a few steps towards her, guessing that she might raise her head and smile at the innocent looking animal. She didn't; she kept her full attention on her father's gift.


	44. Friend or Foe

"Oi, Molley! Wait-what's with this crowd? Molley!" 

Sirius was trying to get to his house mate on a late Saturday morning, having quite the schedule for the weekend. Detentions were over and he heard the girls talk about how Ophelia had a lot more free time and could only guess she had nothing better to do. 

"Molley! What's with the rush?" He asked finally getting a hand on her robes. 

Actually, for the past month and a half, she's been rushing from class to class and even in the common room she'd hide behind books. If he ever thought she was spending an awful time in the library, he was proven wrong. 

"I have to finish my Transfiguration homework." She mumbled grumpily, as she has been for the exact same amount of time. 

Sirius frowned but shrugged that off and pulled her aside. 

"I need you to help me with another letter. This one has to be worse than the last one." 

"Why do I have to write it for you? Go ask someone else. Remus has neat handwriting too." She answered, shaking his hand off her.

"Well, I didn't make a deal with him, Miss Attitude." He responded just as annoyed, "You grabbed me aside and asked to keep James out of your school life. He managed to do so by himself but we still shook hands over this deal." 

"No, we didn't." 

"Not literally, but we did. Anyway, let's meet in the Astronomy Tower tonight. I've got a good idea what will make my mother screech." 

"Why do you hate her so much, anyway? She's thinking about you in her own way." She replied though her tone was softer.

Sirius scoffed and plunged his hands inside his robe's pockets. 

"That is none of your business. But if you want to know, having a different mentality than your family can bite you in the arse at times." He answered though he knew she won't ask further.

Ophelia was ready to give her own piece of mind when she caught sight of Rabastan with the same Ravenclaw muggle born. She bit her lip, annoyed that he was spending time with a girl instead of tutoring her in Potions. She needed someone to connect her to the Slytherins and he was the best candidate at the moment. 

Sirius caught the change in her expressions faster than he could blink.

"Sorry to tell you, Molley, but Rab there has started dating Helena a few weeks ago. Left old Rodolphus speechless at the time." Sirius explained, still amused by the memory. "He was ready to curse his younger brother, that's for sure. I hope Reg won't end up in that house next year." 

"Who's Reg?" She asked, her eyes moving on the second year.

"My brother. He's as loyal as a son can get. Unlike me, the rebel to the cause." 

"And what's the cause exactly?" 

"Dark arts, destroying every muggle there is, chaos and loyalty to that Dark Lord my mother has been talking about." 

"There is a Dark Lord?" She asked, curiosity bubbling inside her. "Who is he?" 

"You are very interested in the dark arts aren't you?" He asked leaning forward. Ophelia nodded without the slightest regret, "It may sound great but it isn't. Dark magic is all about power and pride. Nothing good comes out of it." 

"You seem to know a lot."

"I do. My family has been grooming dark wizards for generations." 

Ophelia nodded aknowledging Sirius Black as probably more than a pest. But still, he wasn't of help at the moment. 

* * *

That Saturday seemed to be very full as the Gryffindor Quidditch team went out on the field and the rest either chose to stay in the common room or go and watch. Ophelia decided she might as well take a breath of fresh air and tagged along. Remus was there, reading yet somehow still watching the game while Pettigrew was cheering on. It was just a game between Gryffindors but James was not participating. 

"Potter, I thought you were going to fly around at least!" She yelled over the fence. The brown haired boy turned to her with a pout and sighed.

"Go tell Wood! He won't let me train today!" 

Ophelia bit her lip and glanced at the people around. Maybe three or four were watching and not even that well so a bit of foul play won't be noticed. Thus, Ophelia turned to Gideon Prewett who was flying around, enjoying his Seeker position and felt a little tingling sensation go through her hands. She didn't have to murmur the curse in order to make the broom move in all directions. She kept visual contact until she was sure Gideon had one good ride. 

Unfortunately, once she broke visual contact, the broom jolted one last time and threw the boy off a good distance. 

"Gideon, are you alright?" Fabian Prewett was the first to lose height and go to his brother's side. Their sister, Molly, ran on the field as well. "What happened?"

"Maybe a Slytherin sneaked in...agh, my leg hurts." 

He seemed very brave compared to how much pain he must have felt, especially with his brother and sister helping him to the castle. 

"Great. Just what the team needed! Amazing, bloody amazing!" Wood was annoyed. "The match is in a week! And it's against Slytherins! If we don't win, we won't get to play in the finals. Good job, Gideon!" He added, his face reddening in anger.

"What about me? Am I really so small and invisible?" Potter picthed in, running to his captain. 

Wood's face was expressionless but seeing how there was no other choice, he sighed and gave in.

"Get on your broom and better be good, Potter!" 

That was enough for the second year to get excited.

Later at dinner, the whole castle was well informed of what happened on the Quidditch pitch. Unfortunately, a lot of people were curious how Gideon's broom was cursed and by who. Slytherins were the first to come in mind and they were very unhappy to be accused for nothing. Fortunately, Potter was happy and no one would ever think Ophelia gave him what he wanted. 

No one but one person.

"You did it." Remus cornered her before they entered the common room.

"What are you talking about?" She asked innocently.

"I was there, behind you. You were staring at Prewett from the moment his broom went crazy and until he fell."

"I'm a second year, Remus. Besides, I didn't have my wand with me." She replied, perfect reasoning, "Aren't you happy for your friend? He finally gets to play." 

"But Gideon's in the hospital wing with a broken leg." 

"One's misfortune can be another's luck. That's how life goes." She replied, showing no remorse or regret.

Remus frowned, never imagining that Ophelia had that kind of mentality. 

"You should be happy, Remus. James is your friend." She added, highlightening the most important factor.

"Not only mine. It seems he has been crawling under your skin." The boy said, cracking a sly smile, "I can't understand why but I guess you did have good intentions." 

He wanted to catch her into her own reasoning but the girl wasn't stupid. She mirrored his smile before she noticed scratches on his neck. 

"Remus, are you sure you are alright? Has Mulciber started to bully you again? Your neck is-" She reached out towards his neck but he caught her hand. 

She didn't intend to look into his mind but it felt like someone pushed her in for a moment. Her eyes widened as she saw a monster howling at the moon through a very small crack inside what looked to be a shack. It was messy and she swore she saw blood on the floor but the worst of every image was the eyes of the furry monster. 

"I'm alright." 

That's what he said but Ophelia already saw it. Remus had a secret. 

* * *

Right after her little discussion with Remus, Ophelia remembered Sirius. He decided by himself that they should meet in the Astronomy Tower for whatever plan he schemed, again by himself. 

"I'm here so let's get this done with so I can go finish my Herbology paper." She stated as soon as she arrived.

Sirius was not there. No one was or at least, no one walking on two feet. The same hiss she heard in her nightmare back in Spinnard's cottage seemed to come from everywhere. Out of the darkness creeped a large, scary snake with its eyes set on Ophelia. She blinked a few times, confused how she should react. Up the stairs heavy steps were signaling that someone was coming but that sound was drowned out as the only thing she could hear was the snake.

" _Everything you want to know isss in hissstory booksss. The Ressstricted Sssection."_ The snake hissed at her, forming words just like a human. 

Speechless and yet amazed, Ophelia took a step closer to the vile creature and leaned forward, staring into its eyes at her reflection. She could see the ruby on her ring shining brightly as her whole face seemed to morph. Her long eyes became rounder and her hair was slowly reddening as if it was on fire. It was the same face, more or less, but the features that were making her herself were changing into one young face that had long suffered and paid for her mistakes. 

Seeing the reflection of her mother's face, she realized there were many details that she chose to ignore until then, growing more curious about circumstances than the person itself. Peverell appeared in every single explanation and bestowed shadow over Lillian's persona but that was going to end. 

"Ophelia!" 

A cold lanky hand wrapped around her shoulder and pulled her back, interrupting both the visual and mental connection. 

She looked back at the perpetrator and saw the pale face of Lucius Malfoy. 

"What are you doing here?" She asked, looking up into his grey-blue eyes. 

Malfoy's eyes shifted to the snake, drawing her attention on it as well. The hissing cold blooded creature retreated into the darkness, its eyes glowing until he vanished behind the walls. 

* * *

Those eyes that have stared down at her from the first moment they met in front of Gringotts were now looking down at his feet, thoughtful and worried.

"So that's what he meant." He mumbled, sighing at his foolishness. "I suppose that explains everything, especially the bravery in front of Rodolphus." 

"What are you mumbling about? And how did you know I was here?" She asked, watching him with suspicion. "Where's Black?" 

"Snape saw you come up here after dinner. He insisted that I come and make sure you haven't fallen off." He scoffed at the memory but once his eyes rose on her figure, he didn't feel like sneering at her anymore. "I understand now why Rabastan has been so docile. He even entered a relationship with a mud-blood, just to spite his father and brother." 

"How does that connect to me? Do I look like I'm happy he abandoned our lessons for a girl?" She scowled.

Malfoy raised an eyebrow, surprised to see she was acting so childishly just because she lost her tutor. 

"I'll take care of you from now on. That's the best I can do for now after-" He's already done quite enough just to make her miserable, starting with last year's bullying. He had some repenting to do now that he knew a short second year girl had his life in her hands. 

"You said Rabastan became docile because of me. How does that make sense?" 

"Your father would do anything to keep you safe. Rabastan became closer to you and so if anything were to happen to him, it would also affect you."

"So what, am I a safety zone now? Everyone that comes in contact with me becomes precious to my father too?" She asked, glaring at the blond. "Are you also trying to get into my father's favour?"

"I am not the first nor the last person that will try to gain your trust and favoritism." 

"Is my father such an important man? Isn't he just a wizard?" 

Malfoy's eyes widened and he gasped at her.

"Just a-just a wizard?! No, he is not just a wizard! He is the-"

"I believe that's enough, Lucius." Spinnard interfered before the student could give out Tom's latest name. "I am pleased that you have finally understood your role but you shouldn't talk gibberish." He added, his cold blue eyes looking far more intimidating than any Slytherin. 

"But professor-" Malfoy was reduced to silence when Spinnard raised his hand. The blond rolled his eyes and walked out, knowing he had established and seen enough. 

When he arrived in front of the moving stairs, he saw Severus guarding a petrified Sirius Black. The pale boy noticed his prefect too and nodded before he muttered a counter curse thus letting Sirius free. 

"I swear you'll pay for this Snivelly!" Black yelled in anger but that threat was far from the real deal that Malfoy has just entered. 

Once he got into the dungeon, the same pale boy ran up to him with his hair sticking to his face.

"Is she alright? Did something really happen?" 

"What made you believe I should see her listening to a snake? And how did you know it will happen tonight?" Asked the prefect but Snape didn't seem intimidated by the person he was so scared of only last year.

"She told me about her father, that his name is Tom. Then, I witnessed her losing control, learning Legilimency and then she visited that man in the hospital. Her father's name and past have all resulted into one answer that _had_ to be right." Snape explained, starting to walk by Malfoy's side towards the common room.

"She won't know who's a friend or foe anymore. We'll have to watch her and those she comes in contact with." The blond started, his superior demeanor returning now that he fully registered what happened in the Astronomy Tower. 

"Not many know who she is. Maybe if we hide it then-" 

"The daughter of the Dark Lord is here, moreover sorted in Gryffindor. I assure you, we won't be able to hide her for long. If Rodolphus finds out, he will have the whole house up and about." 

Snape sighed, admitting that Rodolphus Lestrange was a man of action and would probably cause great distress to Hogwarts as a whole not just Slytherins. It was up to him, Malfoy and Rabastan to keep the secret for as long as possible. 

"You are rather loyal to her, aren't you Severus? I thought you two were not friends anymore yet you knew exactly where she was going to be tonight." Malfoy asked with an eyebrow raising elegantly. 

"I prefer to be her friend rather than her foe."


	45. Second Year Done

Ever since that night, Malfoy begun to visibly take interest in the second year Gryffindor. He'd glance at her during every dinner and often would study in the library around the same time she did. For most students, Malfoy's behavior was the same but for Slytherins, it was clear that something happened. 

"Have you noticed something different at Malfoy?" Asked the one person no one would guess was so perceptive, "It's like he doesn't even want to come to the dark arts lessons. Lestrange has done most work lately." Nott added, glancing at the blond swiftly. 

"That's because Lestrange has been more active outside school. I heard his father kept a smuggler from going to Azkaban. He killed five muggles when he ran and he's free to continue to do so if they interfere." Mulciber said before he gulped down the rest of his soup. 

"That's not enough to enter the circle of the Dark Lord. I heard he is a pure blooded wizard that murdered more muggles than all the families united. He traveled a lot and learned much more than we do in this good for nothing school." Avery added, looking down the table after his older brother. "I see McGonagall gave him detention again even if he's in his sixth year. My brother's been practicing transfiguration on people lately." He boasted, the others chuckling at what only they believed was funny.

"What about you, Severus? I've seen you less and less with Molley but you still prefer to spend time with the ginger." Mulciber suddenly started, drawing the attention of the whole group on the lanky boy. 

"I've known Lily from childhood." Snape muttered hoping that was enough to keep them entertained.

"I heard you petrified Black last week. I was surprised when I heard, especially because the first year that saw you was a Hufflepuff. Their heads are clogged, I'm telling you." Mulciber continued.

"Maybe we should take a few of them and teach them that they should grow some wit." Avery added, his eyes sparkling evilly. 

That was it. They already decided and even if Snape will tag along or not, they'll still do it and boast about it in the common room. 

Looking over his shoulder at the Gryffindor table, his eyes fell over Lily first, who was laughing with her friends. A few seats from the ginger was Ophelia, talking to Remus Lupin as if last week never happened. Now that his eyes were returning to the Slytherin table, he noticed Malfoy talking to Narcissa Black. He seemed to enjoy himself for someone who's been so tense lately.

But once Malfoy was out of Hogwarts, how will the secrecy continue? And what if someone from Gryffindor finds out the truth? There were just so many uncertanties. 

* * *

"You've been very active this week, haven't you? I guess all that time spent in the library meant something. It's already april." Potter started,looking at Ophelia with a sparkle in his eyes, "There's going to be a game next Saturday. I'll count you in, badge."

"Count me in what?" She asked, not understanding this strange boy.

"My fans of course. You'll be there, Sirius will, Peter, Remus, Evans will also be there," he added, knowing she won't deny it.

"Not for you but for the team." Lily said quickly.

"Potato patato." 

"What?" Molley asked again, stunned by Potter's vocabulary.

"In moments like these, you really show your rich heritage Molley."

"He means it's the same thing." Remus explained, making Potter roll his eyes.

"Then why didn't he say so?" She muttered before taking a spoon-full from her pudding. 

"Anyway, you'll see me playing Seeker, winning against Slytherins for the first time in two years. It will be epic." 

"I'm sure they will engrave your name on a medal or something." Cissney mumbled sarcastically but it didn't seem like Potter acknowledged the right meaning. 

But then Saturday came around and Gryffindors had a lot of homework to finish before the game later in the afternoon. Potter was fighting against a deadline for his Defense against the Dark Arts homework and Spinnard was very clear when he ordered Potter to finish it or else he won't play. That only enraged Wood.

"If you don't finish it in time, the team is doomed. I hope you listen to me, Potter. If we don't play and win, I'll make sure to make you an outcast." Wood hissed in the back of Potter's head.

"That's a bit much, even for you Charlie." Fabian Prewett tried to calm his captain but Wood was stiff like a rock.

Seeing how everyone was placing so much pressure on him, Potter tried his best to write three pages out of five. The clock was ticking loudly in the common room so Ophelia decided she just might interfere. Someone else moved faster than her.

"I'll finish it and give it to Spinnard for you so just go get ready." Remus mumbled, knowing how important the match was for his friends. 

"That's cheating. Professor Spinnard will notice the differences." Lily pitched in, being realistic.

Ophelia smirked when she remembered she could enter other people's minds. Cerberus was a genius for showing her how to sneak in and alter memories.

"Sounds like a plan to me." She announced, her glistening green eyes sending the right message to Remus. 

* * *

"So, you enter and leave it on the desk. It doesn't matter if he sees you because I can alter his memory and change your face to Potter's." 

That was the plan but Spinnard was one of the best legillimens out there and entering his mind alone was tricky. Well, it worth a chance.

Once the door to his office opened, Ophelia stuck her head inside and looked for the familiar dark haired man. 

"It's clear. You can enter." She said, opening the door wider for Remus. 

He literally tip toed to the desk, left the parchment and tip toed back to Ophelia. They both sighed, thinking that she may not need to act at all if Spinnard wasn't there in the first place. 

"And what are you two doing in front of my door?" 

Of course, his timing was always perfect. He looked down at his students, expecting an answer but someone else interfered.

"We've got bigger problems at the moment." 

Ophelia sighed in relief when Cerberus walked right behind the dark professor and placed a hand on his shoulder, squeezing lightly just for the blue eyed man to take the hint.

"Very well," Spinnard mumbled, his eyes narrowing as the two children passed him, "Inform Potter to come right after the match ends in order to get his punishment." 

Remus' eyes widened but at least they could still play. Cerberus winked at the girl and literally shoved Spinnard inside his office. 

"Who was that? He didn't look like a student." Remus asked once they got far enough from the room.

"A-" The first instinct was to lie and say he was some visitor but then, there was no reason to lie. "He is the family friend I stayed with on Christmas. He and Spinnard are old friends." 

"But I thought your parents are muggles."

"My adoptive parents are, yes. But my real parents were purebloods. Spinnard and Cerberus went to school with my dad." She just said everything knowing it won't affect the smart boy. 

They were in the entrance hall when Pettigrew ran towards them, huffing and puffing.

"Where have you been?! The game's about to start!" He yelled before he led the way to the Quidditch grounds.

* * *

**"Hello and welcome to the last semifinal before the big game next month! I am Zachary Prickle and I will be your host today! It seems that both Slytherins and Gryffindors have been studying new techniques this term so let's hope no one dies!"**

Ophelia raised an eyebrow as she heard that commentary. She wasn't the only one as McGonagall glared at the fourth year. 

**"Madame Hooch entered the field! Aand the game is on! Extraordinary quick is this man, I'm of course talking about Gryffindor's captain, Charlie Wood. Slytherin's not below as we see Beaters Gregory and Marcus Springler approaching the Gryffindor circles. Oh but look who's on the pitch, ladies and gentlemen!"**

Just as Zachary commented, Potter flew right past them, winking at the audience. 

**"James Potter plays his first match as the team's Seeker. It looks rather troubling for Rabastan Lestrange who has been the best Seeker Slytherin has had. Well, let's see how these two will do against each other."**

"I never knew Rabastan plays Quidditch." Lily whispered to Ophelia who was just as clueless.

"He never spoke about his life. I never knew he'd date a muggle born either, not with his lineage." Ophelia answered, the girls nodding along.

* * *

Surprisingly, Gryffindors actually won and they did so by ingeniously protecting their best shot: Potter. Being small and quick proved to be an advantage against Rabastan's bulkier body. Potter caught the golden snitch and kept it close until he entered the castle.

The common room that night was loud, and that adjective was not even covering the real image. Alcohol might have been smuggled in by the Prewett brothers and someone might have placed a charm over the tower so they could party all night without having anyone interfere. 

"Spinnard wanted you to go over after the game." Ophelia informed Potter sometime around midnight.

"Ha, right. Have you seen me today? I was bloody brilliant!" Potter yelled, drawing Wood's attention.

"I've got to say Potter, I wasn't expecting this result. Rabastan is usually a beast on field and even Gideon had troubles before." Wood started, one hand around his newest Seeker and one around a glass of fire whisky. 

"He must have had a bad day." Fabian Prewett added, laughing in joy with his team mates. 

But that win could not be passed easily by Potter. He took care to emphasize on it every chance he got, especially in front of Slytherins. 

A week passed and while everyone was thinking about the upcoming exams, Potter and Black were goofying around. One of Black's paper birds flew past Ophelia before it fell on her plate. She didn't have to open it in order to know what it meant.

"Oi, Potter,shut it already! We all know you bribed your way in and cheated during the game, no need to remind us every day." Nott growled at the glasses boy. 

Potter stopped whatever he was doing and turned to the dark haired Slytherin. Nott was dark from every aspect, just like Mulciber. Avery was the only one that looked brighter because of his hair color. 

"I don't remember telling you anything, Nott. Are we on speaking terms and I forgot?" Potter snarled at the Slytherin, gaining his friends' enjoyment.

"You will get nowhere with this attitude. Let me remind you how pathetic you are for disgracing your status by standing with these people." 

It came out as he wanted, making everyone in close vicinity feel angry at his spiteful tone. Sirius was probably the most offended since he had his own terrible relationship with the Slytherins. 

"Are you brave enough to say that again? This time, do it to my face, like the prick you are." Black stood up and walked next to James, both glaring at the group of Slytherins. "Not so chatty now, are you Nott?" 

"You-" Mulciber had enough and growled before he pointed his wand at Potter. "You talk big as if nothing can touch you but what if-" He stopped and moved his wand on Peter, whose eyes widened, "-we change our technique? What was your name again? It doesn't matter. Not like anyone will remember it anyway." 

Mulciber was wicked enough to curse Pettigrew but the whole matter was interrupted by the lanky Prefect. He glowered at the Gryffindors before he noted that Ophelia was there, watching everything intensely. Her green eyes were set on Mulciber and from the looks of it, she might even curse him as they speak. 

"Relax, Mulciber. Don't waste your time on weaklings. Let's go." Malfoy walked right through the middle, more or less forcing the three students to move on. 

"Are you alright, Peter?" Lily asked as soon as the crowd dispersed. The boys didn't even notice the audience that formed around them.

"They will pay, don't worry. We have time ahead to make them miserable." Sirius tried to comfort everyone.

They did have time but not during the next month. With Quidditch practices in the morning, classes during the day and homework during afternoons, Potter could barely do anything else. 

On the other side, Mulciber found it vital to begin tormenting Gryffindors once again. His main victim was Pettigrew and so Gryffindors decided they should fight back if it gets too much. 

* * *

In a different part of the castle, having his own troubles, was the man that swore to protect the child of the Dark Lord. 

"What will you do? Will you really murder once again for him?" Cerberus asked his former colleague, his eyes serious compared to his usual behavior. "And what about Ophelia? She's just a child."

"I'll do what I have to do." Spinnard spoke in a cold tone, his eyes not giving any hint of what he was really thinking of. 

Cerberus watched Luce walk out the room and looked down at his feet. He'd have to report it to Dumbledore, be it good or bad news. 

* * *

Up in the Astronomy Tower begun everything. When Vernon called Luce up there to study together, when he appraised Luce's talents and now he was there again, embracing himself for what he will have to do next. 

Vernon Peverell was one of the brightest and most sincere wizards Luce had ever met. The ginger could see beauty in everything and easily saw through Spinnard's mask. His disappearance troubled the whole wizarding community, fact that won't happen if a poor Ravenclaw dies. 

"You should leave. I have no plan to murder my best friend." Luce spoke, deciding to avoid looking into those deep blue eyes. "I'll take responsibility for my decisions, so it's fine. If you ever return to your real form, visit me." He finished, closing his eyes and disapparating.

The place that Spinnard apparated in was Ophelia's house. It was so silent, abnormally so. Stepping closer to the front door, Luce heard the sound of a muggle gun. 

"Who are you?! Leave us alone!" 

Spinnard heard two more gun shots before he heard his voice. It was just like he remembered, chilling and breathy. 

"My daughter will not be staying with simple minded muggles. I have to recognize you have done a good job raising her for the little time you had but it stops now." Tom hissed, though he didn't seem necessary angry. 

One swift flick of his wrist and the muggle was dead just like his wife, but someone else walked in, someone holding a wand.

"I suppose you have finished your mission successfully?" Tom asked, glancing at Spinnard expectantly. "Or have you let your emotions interfere?" 

"I'm not going to murder my best friend. Besides, I'm not going to let you transform Ophelia into a replacement for your cousin."

Tom took his time staring at Luce, watching the blue eyed professor walk closer. He was tense and scared, even though he was covering it well. Luce Spinnard had so much potential but he was being pulled back by a memory.

"How disappointing," Tom spoke in the same tone he used on Vernon. 

Green light engulfed the room and one ray stroke Spinnard straight in his chest. Everything happened so fast and so sudden. Tom killed the muggle officer and sighed. Spinnard was the best legilimens in Europe and he never even used his powers for himself. No, he used them for his best friend; he sacrificed for his best friend but at least he did something helpful: Luce was so blinded by his hatred for Lillian that he unconsciously brought Tom closer to Ophelia.

Among the broken decorations in the room was a picture. Tom stepped over the mess and carefully took it out of the broken frame. 

"Just a few more weeks and we will be reunited."


	46. Changes

With exams done, rather well from what it seemed on everyone's faces, the only activity left was the grand Quidditch final between Hufflepuff and Gryffindor. Of course, now that they had time, Wood did nothing but threat everyone while Potter mimicked him from behind.

"This is my chance to win the Quidditch house cup and no matter how fond I am of all of you, I will murder you if you do not respect the formation." Wood hissed at his team before the game. "You have the chance to further prove yourself, Potter. If you win us this game, you're welcome to replace Gideon next year." 

At the sound of the sentence he has been dying to hear ever since he entered Hogwarts, Potter's eyes brightened and self confidence flew through his veins up to his head. That was a chance that he won't miss.

And he didn't. Gryffindors won, even though not spectacularly. Hufflepuffs have been changing their team quite often because of Mulciber and his lot and that affected their team work. 

"You shouldn't be so happy, Potter. It was an easy win. Even I could have catched the golden snitch against that first year." Cissney started during the last dinner of the term. 

"Don't ruin the mood, Littlewood." James mumbled grumpily. He, too, didn't feel the thrill of winning so easily. "Don't tell Wood about it. He's gloating." 

Turning towards the captain, everyone saw him smiling so brightly with his friends that it was indeed a bit pitiful to smash his dreams into tiny pieces. 

"Well, hope next year will be more challenging." Cissney assured the boy, even though from her point of view it wasn't an encouragement.

"By the way, doesn't the atmosphere seem a bit odd? I mean look at Dumbledore and the others." Lily asked, having everyone around her turn towards the staff table. 

"That's curious. I thought at least professor McGonagall will be content with the recent event." Sirius added, narrowing his eyes at his head of the house. That didn't seem to mind him for long because he was the first to dive into his dessert. 

"Anyway, from what I know, before the third year begins, we have to choose new subjects. There's not many that sound appealing but I thought we could all take Muggle Studies and Care of Magical Creatures together." Alice started, changing the subject completely while looking at her dorm mates with hopeful eyes. 

Lily seemed to ponder on the idea while Cissney nodded without giving it much thought. That let Ophelia with a huge question mark above her head.

"Is that all there is?" She asked, already giving out the answer. "I mean, we shouldn't rush our decisions. I don't think I want to study my parents in a very detailed way." 

"There's more. You can choose before you leave for the break or you can send an owl later in the month." Remus assured Ophelia, understanding her need to think it through.

* * *

That night was incredibly loud, mostly because of Potter and Black and the enthusiastic Arthur Weasley who was telling Frank Longbottom about all these strange muggle facts he found in a magazine.

Ophelia listened for a while, amusing herself with Arthur's theories and Zachary's side commentaries. But an hour into it and she noticed her red haired friend was not in the common room anymore.

"I believe Snape came over to speak to her. They probably have plans for the summer since they live so close to each other." Cissney explained.

Ophelia's expression was really easy to read and she was not content. Having told Severus so much already it was really a pity that their friendship was limited to their muggle friend and their common interests. 

With that thought in mind, she walked out the common room and unconsciouly went into the dungeon. It was still early and there were chances she'd meet a Slytherin but it didn't matter. 

"Ophelia," 

She did not expect Malfoy to call her by her name. It was so sudden that she didn't even reply. Instead, she looked up into his eyes and waited for him to continue. 

"During summer I will send you the spells and curses you will need for next year's dark arts lessons." He spoke, his personal tone never wavering yet there was a tinge of respect that didn't exist before.

"Unlike you, I don't accept help so easily from someone who sways as the wind blows." She stated coldly, offending his pride.

"Then maybe you should ask one of your house mates. I'm sure the Prewett brothers would be delighted."

He was being sarcastic and the twitching eyebrow did not go unnoticed by the young girl. She was being witty and he already knew she had a bad mouth but it was impossible to harm her in any way now. 

"You will be announced." He said before he walked past her.

Done with the Prefect, Ophelia walked to Spinnard's office. Thinking about him she got a chill down her spine as if he was bad mouthing her at the moment. But once she arrived there, the person inside his office was not tall with blue eyes and dark hair. 

"Headmaster? What are you doing here?" 

Dumbledore turned to face her with a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. Having a quick eye, she noticed the elder man subtly taking something off Spinnard's desk. 

"I'm afraid I have bad news. You see, there's been a commotion," 

"Wait, Dumbledore, let me give her the news." Cerberus barged in, interrupting. 

Dumbledore nodded and walked out. Passing by Ophelia, he gave her one last sorrowful smile before closing the door behind him.

"What happened?" She asked Cerberus, seemingly braver and with more attitude.

The owl man sighed and paced a bit in front of the desk before he turned to her. She was so young and everything was happening too fast, even for him.

"Luce is dead." 

"Excuse me?" She asked, taking a step forward. 

"I'm sorry too, believe me I am very sorry. It wasn't supposed to happen, he was supposed to go with the plan and-" he stopped and looked down at his hands. "I'm sorry."

"He hated me and made my life at school impossible. What makes you think that I will mourn him?" She asked, surprising the owl man.

He looked up at her and saw her eyes narrowing slightly. It might not have meant much but it seemed like she was trying to fight the regret she felt. Cerberus sighed and walked towards her, ruffling her hair when he finally reached the kid. 

"He protected you. He might have done it for Peverell but at the end of the day, I think he understood you're not Lillian. You didn't steal his best friend and didn't endanger anyone."

"So then what am I now? A victim? It seems like everyone acts according to their interests. Malfoy suddenly believes we're friends while my friend only sees me as a link. Spinnard saw me as a little Lillian and you? What do you see me as?"

"As a little Gryffindor, talented in practical magic rather than theoretical. I understand if you won't mourn him but remember him as a man who never intended to hurt you. Remember him as a friend." Cerberus continued softly.

"Fine. Well, I don't really have any business here now so I'll just go..."

"I'm sorry, Ophelia." Cerberus muttered when she turned her back to him. The girl heard but didn't understand why he sounded so regretful. 

* * *

The whole train ride next day felt empty for some reason. She had Willy next to her and did her best to find a compartment and stay by herself. There were a lot of things to consider now that Spinnard was gone. He was an amazing wizard and he could have been an amazing professor but he disliked children and everything involving social skills. 

But at the same time, those cold blue eyes were imprinted in her mind and his face during Christmas was infuriating. It was annoying how even dead Spinnard could arise this confusion in her.

The door to her compartment slid open and a familiar greasy haired boy walked in, looking sorrowful. He sat next to her and didn't say a word, knowing there was no need with her.

By the time the train arrived in London, Severus was sleeping peacefully and woke up when they blew the horn. He looked around groggily, wiping his drool off before he noticed Willy watching him. Ophelia was nowhere to be seen until he turned towards the door.

"We've arrived in London." She announced before she grabbed her owl and left. 

The brunette witch was searching for her parents, curious if they were mad that she spent the breaks away from them once again. Gloria's tall and lean figure was not there and neither was Richard's stiff face. Her colleagues were happy to meet their families but Ophelia had no one waiting for her. 

"What's wrong?" Severus asked when he got off. "Aren't your parents here already?" 

"It feels strange," she mumbled, still searching for her parents amongst the crowd.

"Maybe they're late." The boy assured her but Ophelia could feel it wasn't just that.

Takig a few steps into the crowd, she realized that most of the sounds were slowly fading away or were drawn out into the background. With every step taken she could feel her hear beat quicken and she wasn't sure of anything she was seeing around. Maybe it was all a dream and they were still in the train, or maybe Potter was messing around with spells he couldn't control. Or maybe-

"Oh," she muttered when she stepped over someone's very elegant shoes, "I'm so-" she looked up and her eyes widened at the figure.

"Ophelia?" She could hear Severus yell after her but it was hard to see exactly who she met with all the kids and their parents. "Ophelia?!" 

But nothing could reach her. He smiled slyly and patted her head in what was definitely not a kind gesture.

"There have been some changes in your placement. I'll be taking care of you from now on." 

He was her father but the hair rose on her back at the new plan.

* * *

Unlike what she expected, her father was not the type to meddle with others thus he touched her and apparated to a house far from Birmingham.

At a closer inspection, those trees looked very familiar. Once they walked out of the thick forest she noticed why it seemed like the place itself was so comfortable for her.

"This is Spinnard's cottage. Why are we here?" She asked her father.

"You will live here. When I call you, I want you to come to me. I will teach you everything you need to know and more but you cannot stay with me for long. At least not yet." He answered in such a calm tone that it sounded like he was being under a spell.

Of course, when his eyes landed on her it was obvious he was himself. But it was also visible how his face did not resemble the one she met when she was younger. While he used to have blue eyes that could mesmerize anyone he'd lay them on and features that could charm any woman, now all those were different. He was still handsome and charming but not in the same way; it was difficult to explain exactly but everything about him was fearful.

"Why can't I return to Birmingham?" Ophelia asked looking up into his eyes. "What about the Molleys?" 

"I thought you wanted to be with your real family." 

She did but it was so fast and sudden and she wanted to at least say goodbye to the people that acted like her parents for the last few years. 

"I just- well," she didn't know what to say, especially with his eyes staring at her so intensely. "Will I live here by myself?" 

"No. I arranged everything." 

He wasn't a man of many details or not with her, at least. Sensing that his daughter was questioning his motives, Tom patted her head trying to do it as fondly as he could. Ophelia's immediate reaction was to smile and that was enough for him to know her doubts vanished. 

"Ophelia?! What-what are you doing here?!" 

One moment she shifted her attention on the man that just arrived and one moment was enough for her father to disapparate.

"Anyway, get in. I have news to give you, both good and bad." Cerberus mumbled, urging her to enter the cottage as fast as possible.


	47. Inheritance

Entering Spinnard's house under the new circumstances felt out of place. The owner of the house was dead - still a mystery how that happened when he could read minds- and the owner never liked her so being there was the same as defying Spinnard. 

"I hope he won't return as a ghost," the girl mumbled, looking around for any type of ghostly beings.

But everything was just the same as she remembered. The only difference was the silent grieving that seemed to ooze from the walls and floor. If she didn't know better, she'd have believed that the house knew Spinnard was dead and it was mourning him.

"Ophelia, let's have a little chat, shall we?" Cerberus asked, sticking his head out from behind the door towards the kitchen.

The living room has always been Spinnard's favorite, or so believed the little witch. He'd prefer to spend his free time standing on his maroon armchair and reading a book from his vast collection- usually one about dark arts. Being there all alone, she sat in the same place he used to and sighed. From that seat, if you were to look up, there was a mirror on the fireplace and from that spot she was sitting in, she could see everything happening in the hall and on the stairway, also if anyone was coming in and out of the basement. It was very smart. 

"So, I couldn't find much in the cupboard but I did find some English tea; hopefully still good." Cerberus started, walking in with two mugs. He placed one on the table next to her and one on the table in front of the couch, where he also sat down.

"The house seems to be missing Spinnard." Ophelia said, grabbing her mug and taking a sip. It was good enough, could have been better if Gloria made it. "It feels alive."

"That's because it is. Well, not really alive but it has been enchanted by Luce's parents. You see, they were worried that their son will end up like his older brother. Luce had an older brother, yes. His name was Eilian and even though he was the first born, he was always second in his parents' eyes. Luce was a gifted wizard from a very young age, your father was not wrong. Even Tom saw the potential in Luce's magical powers and often complimented him during school. Something that Vernon never did."

"Are you telling me this just so that I can see how trustworthy and valuable was Spinnard? Because I don't want to." She interrupted when she felt regret creep into her heart.

"Luce **was** trustworthy and valuable but he never saw himself as precious to anyone. Eilian was jealous and did everything he could to stain his younger brother's image. He succeeded when he died, blaming it on Luce's affinity for the dark arts. From that moment on, everyone avoided him except Vernon and later on, Tom. Before his parents moved, they enchanted this house so that no dark wizards can enter, believing that Luce had friends through the pure-blooded families. Truthfully, he never liked them, especially Lestrange. So the house did care for him because it protected Luce and those precious to him."

"I wasn't precious to him." Ophelia muttered, looking down at her fidgeting hands.

"Once you stepped inside, the house welcomed you. And now, this house is yours."

Ophelia's eyes widened and she jumped on her feet, surprised and alarmed. 

"Through his will, Luce Spinnard has left Ophelia Molley everything. This house is just a small portion of your inheritance, believe me. I was as surprised as you are when I visited his vault." Cerberus added, remembering how much Luce collected over the years. 

"So that's why he brought me here..." Ophelia muttered, her father's decision making sense. "How come you know so much about Spinnard?"

Cerberus laughed nervously and avoided answering that particular question. 

"Anyway, this house is yours now. Welcome home, Ophelia." The owl man greeted her with a wide smile on his face.

 **Home.** That word was giving her a sense of belonging that she never felt with the Molleys. Thinking about it, she felt bad that she never saw them as a family but more like her caretakers.

"If I will stay here, what about my adoptive parents?" She asked, remembering that Tom didn't answer to that question.

Cerberus' smile vanished instantly and he opened his mouth a few times to speak but words just wouldn't come out. In the end, he licked his lips and decided he shouldn't prolong the bad news.

"Right. About them...on the night Luce died, he was sent to meet another wizard in your muggle neighborhood. He found them at home, murdered. I'm really sorry I couldn't tell you earlier but-"

The explanation didn't matter because the result was already established: the Molleys were dead, murdered in their own house. The people that took Ophelia out of orphanage and gave her a decent life, gave her proper education and sent her off to Hogwarts just last September...they were gone. She felt her heart crack as if a piece just fell apart and in that piece was also Spinnard's memory. 

"Three people died in the same place during the same time. How can there be no answer?" Ophelia asked, tears slowly dripping down her cheeks, "Who did it? Who killed them?"

"Lord Voldemort did. That's how he calls himself now." Cerberus replied, not telling her the real identity of the murderer. "The Ministry's been taking measures and your parents' death will be covered as a robbery gone wrong. Luce on the other hand, is a different story. His death is being kept in between us."

"Why? You said it yourself, he was valuable." She barked at him, sounding very different now that she was letting her emotions flow. 

"But he also murdered your grandmother and told T-Voldemort that your mother chose Vernon as her Secret Keeper. I guess he wanted to pay for his mistakes by helping you." Cerberus explained, making Ophelia cry even more. 

* * *

The rest of the day was kept in silence, with Cerberus apparating and disapparating from the Molley household, bringing everything that proved the two had a daughter. It was uncomfortable to watch but with every picture and every little present she received, Ophelia felt a piece of her heart breaking. 

"Well, I suppose that's all." Cerberus mumbled after his last trip, bringing back Ophelia's bed. "I'll help redecorate your room just...let me sit for a moment. The age is catching up." 

"How old are you?" She asked bluntly.

"As old as your father." He replied, sitting down like a grumpy old man. "I bet you're wondering now how old he is. Well, let's say your mother liked older men." He decided to leave it at that, further details about their incestuous relationship hidden for now. 

"Why did Peverell liked my mother so much? What was so interesting about her?" Ophelia continued, feelig like Cerberus was the man with the answers.

"I'm not sure. We met once before in Diagon Alley and he seemed to sparkle. He might have encountered some pixies but he was definitely radiating with happiness. I believe that was around the time you were born." 

"But he is not my father." Ophelia commented.

"True but that never stopped him from loving your mother and growing to love you. He treasured you enough to make us protect you. Luce has always been skeptical when Vernon took decisions,calling them foolish and spurs of the moment but this time he accepted. I want to believe that Vernon is not dead but cursed and tortured somewhere but it's been too long." 

"That's- his patronus was a dragon."

Cerberus' eyes widened for a moment before he remembered she might have seen it in his or Spinnard's memories. 

"My patronus is a fox." 

"A patronus form at your age? Let me see it," the man urged, finding it hard to believe that a 12 years old kid could make more than a few sparks.

Ophelia looked to the side and grabbed her wand from next to Willy's cage. The bird tilted his head to the side, anticipating his master's patronus.

"Expecto Patronum," she said meekly, pointing her wand at a random spot. Surprisingly, the fox form was well defined and looked very stable.

Cerberus smiled widely and jumped on his feet, quickly patting the girl on the head for her success. It was not the same way her father did it, not as light and distant but warm and fuzzy. 

"When I was your age I couldn't even transfigurate a mug! This is very good, who taught you?" He asked growing visibly excited.

"We learned it by ourselves; Severus and I." Her expression was sour at the mention of the Slytherin.

"You know, Ophelia, sometimes friends fight. It can get very ugly to the point where you don't talk anymore and you don't want to see each other's faces. But once that passes and you make up, your friendship tightens. It's better to keep Severus close. He seems to believe so too." 

"He seems to be a lot of things but that doesn't mean he is. He treasures friendship but not with me." 

"Friendships differ according to whom you talk to. Your friendship is not the same as others because you are unique. He won't act with you the same he does with Lily or other Slytherins." 

"Whatever," she mumbled, blushing at the realization. She hid it by turning around and walking up the stairs to her room.

* * *

As soon as she walked upstairs, all those portraits of the Spinnard family members turned to look at her. She had seen moving pictures before in Hogwarts but these were meaner, for the use of a nicer word. Luckily, his parents were still alive somewhere in Ireland so everyone there was from his father's side of the family, the pure-blooded Spinnards whose line ended with Luce. 

 _"We can't be surprised he sacrificed himself, can we?"_ the portrait that seemed to look the most like a woman version of Luce started, looking down at the girl, _"After all, he never did anything wrong. But you, you should be careful. My grand-son's murderer is in your eyes."_ She finished before she actually left the painting.

Ophelia shuddered, those cold blue eyes letting a greater impression than Spinnard's when he was alive. She went into her room and found it exactly like she remembered, nothing changed in the slightest. It was rather moving to see that Spinnard's hate didn't run so deep as to burn everything Ophelia touched. Sitting on the bed, the girl looked out the window and saw someone watching from distance. Interestingly enough, he was coming to the cottage and it was not her father. 

Three loud knocks echoed through the house a few minutes later and Ophelia walked and hid behind the staircase railing, seeing a man walk inside slowly. Her eyes widened when she saw Dumbledore. The headmaster noticed her immediately because he smiled kindly and waved at her. Feeling obliged, she walked down the stairs and into the living room where the men were already seated.

"I'm glad to see you have made yourself comfortable in this house. As Cerberus might have told you, it is now yours." The elder started in his usual and sweet tone. "I'm sure you will find it curious as we both know professor Spinnard was a man of many secrets."

"You can add his vault to that. I couldn't believe my eyes when that little goblin opened the door. One could literally live in there," Cerberus added, chuckling when Dumbledore's blue eyes sparkled from between his spectacles. 

"Where was he buried?" Ophelia asked.

"We wanted to give his dead body to his parents but this house was his life so in the end, he was buried in the garden. The house cared for him and protected him for so long that above his grave there appeared a small fountain with the figurine of a hawk watching over it." Dumbledore explained, glancing around the house with a melancholic smile. 

"I heard that dark wizards can't walk on this land or enter the house. How could Rabastan and Lucius enter back in December?" She asked away, having nothing to lose.

"You see, both of them are still Hogwarts students and as long as they haven't committed to their families, the house welcomes them. Rabastan is not like his older brother, he has a few problems with rules and authority, much like Luce when he was young. And Lucius, well we both know the Malfoy family has been slowly losing their power in the favor of others such as Lestrange and Nott. You should be careful, Ophelia. Just because a few Slytherins are trustworthy does not mean they won't follow their families in the end." Dumbledore advised her but Ophelia was already informed and even felt it on her own skin.

"What should I do now?"

"Live on for your adoptive parents and especially for Luce. Live on and remember them." He said but no matter how much hope he was giving her, it still felt like the only one that could take the guilt and remorse away was her father.

Now that _that_ was settled, Ophelia decided she should let the adults talk, if there was anything left to say. She walked upstairs and passed the first door before she stopped and returned. It seemed like the knob was broken and it needed only one light and innocent push for the door to open. Ophelia glanced at the portraits before she turned towards the stairs; it seemed safe enough so she did what she planned. 

The door unveiled a room bigger than hers but without a bathroom inside. It looked like the bedroom of a young student, having lots of newspapers stuck on the wall above the dresser. Walking in, Ophelia felt the faint perfume of the man that lived here and grasped the sides of her pants tightly, feeling like she entered the only place that was Spinnard's alone. Unlike what he said before, it looked like he did take great honor and pride in being a Ravenclaw, having his bed sheets in the colors of the house, the house emblem right above the door and even Quidditch pictures. Now, taking a closer look at the pictures, on his dresser was this amazing collage of photos from his younger years, most of them with Peverell. Ophelia chuckled when she noticed one photo of Peverell and Lillian, the boy having an arm wrapped around the redhead while in the back was Spinnard, angry and jealous. Another photo was of some kind of Potions contest where Spinnard and Tom took second and first place. Both of them looked sour except Tom was putting on a mask while Spinnard was being blunt. And then there were a lot of pictures with other people, both Ravenclaw and Gryffindor but it seemed like his group photos have been mostly taken before his fifth year. 

Amongst the newspaper articles that he cut and placed on the side, she noticed that most of them were about Grindelwald and his desire to get rid of muggles and the secrecy policy that was hiding the wizarding world. Well, that was in the past now and so was the article about a young man murdered in Hogsmeade during a break.  

**_MURDER IN THE FAMILY._ **

_Fifth year Ravenclaw Luce Spinnard used torturing curses on his older brother, Eilian, before killing him in the alley in front of the Shrieking Shack. Young Luce seems to have been a fan of the dark arts and is even suspected of participating in meetings in the favor of Gellert Grindelwald's ideas._

There was a huge picture with the victim and there was a smaller one with Spinnard, his cold blue eyes not helping his situation at all. Putting that article aside, she decided it won't hurt if she opens the first drawer, where she found a lot of books and one black diary. She took it out and sat on the bed before opening it. The entry she stumbled upon was coincidentally about her father. _For the first time, I felt quite flattered by his compliment but I knew it wasn't genuine. As soon as Tom opens his mouth and speaks to you, it is clear he has more to say than you want to listen._ She flicked through the pages and came upon another entry with Tom's name:  _He came to me, he asked me to kill and I did. Looking into his eyes, I couldn't help myself. He knew how much I hated the label that has been hanging around my neck since Eilian's death and he used that in his favor. Whatever people have thought about me before, they were right. I am a murderer._ It seemed like his brother's death was the explanation for his rude personality so Ophelia searched for that day in particular. She found it easily, being the entry where the writing was all over the place. She could literally hear him say those words.  _The students look at me differently and I haven't even- I was there because I had to buy a book, blimey! One bloody book that wasn't even about the dark arts and he appeared with his stupid piggy friends and started to- he was such a prick. I wanted to get away so I thought to myself that they wouldn't follow me to the Shrieking Shack. Not many go there anymore but- they cornered me in the alley and started to call me names. My own brother...I really wanted to use the cruciatus curse but I knew it won't end anything but make it worse. And then suddenly, green light! It blinded me, that's how powerful it was and when I opened my eyes, Eilian was dead. No one else but Eilian. His stupid friends called the rest. I told Dumbledore what happened, trusting him more than the headmaster. He looked like he believed me, thanks to him I am not expelled. Him and Riddle. I can't believe perfect Slytherin Prefect gave his word for me. Vernon interfered too and with his family influence, they let me go. My brother...I don't even know who killed him but I'm glad they did._

"I see you found his room," Cerberus started, leaning against the door frame, "And his diary," he added when he saw what she had in her hands.

"Everyone believed he killed his brother but no one helped him when that same brother bullied him." Ophelia mumbled, grasping the pages, "That's not fair. Even if he were to kill Eilian, it was self defence."

Cerberus smiled softly, walking and sitting next to her. Only then he noticed the tears dripping silently down her cheeks. 

"You learned a lot from the Molleys about law but it was different back then. All his friends turned against him and they all became afraid of him. You see why Vernon was so precious to him? No matter what students or any other wizards said, the Peverell family was there for him. In return, he was there for you."

"I hate how he never talked about it. I hate how he made himself such a villain when the truth was that he's always been a victim."  She cried, more tears spilling out.

"He's not the only one," Cerberus muttered to himself, pulling the girl into a warm hug.


	48. Third Year, Hopefully Lucky

From that tearful day on, Ophelia decided she would like to keep everything as it was. She didn't need a redecoration and the house seemed content with its recent condition. Cerberus was funnily enough a good guardian, always coming for lunch and dinner just so they could eat together. It was still curious what exactly his job was but with Dumbledore coming around once at a few weeks, she knew it was related to Hogwarts.  

June passed with the deaths of three important figures in her life and July passed with a lot of amusement from Cerberus. No one came around, except Mr. Potter now and then just to check up on Cerberus' adult skills. But nothing else happened and Tom didn't reach Ophelia at all; not until August. 

She was in the garden, looking at the fountain fondly when she saw a cloaked figure in the forest behind the house. Actually, the forest was everywhere and the next muggle house was approximately 100 km away. The old lady that Spinnard talked about before was an old hag that lived up on the hill and even if it was around 50 km to her house, she could see everything from her window. 

"You can't step on the land, can you?" She asked before anything else, even before a polite greeting. The cloaked figure smirked but nodded nonetheless. "Does that make you a dark wizard?"

"Aren't you one as well? You are my daughter." He spoke, sending a shiver down her spine. "Come with me. You need a proper place to study." He added, already walking further into the forest.

Ophelia looked at the fountain then glanced at the house over her shoulder. To be able to live on, she needed to be able to protect her inheritance and for that, she had to learn from the best.  

* * *

Tom didn't lead her far but once she caught up to him, he grabbed her wrist harshly and disapparated. The place that they went to was emptier than any room she had seen, with little elves running around, arranging and dusting off. They looked worse than slaves and their conditions were very strict. She could see that one of them had been hit by something very hard against his face. 

Following her father, he gave away his cloak and led her into a room with one table in the middle and a fireplace on the side. If there was any more furniture, she couldn't see it with how dimly lit it was. At the table were seated a number of vile looking men. She could see the resemblance in Malfoy Sr. and maybe a bit in Mulciber Sr, and Rodolphus was there as well. 

"My friends, I'm glad you could all make it. We will begin our discussion right away but first, I need to ask your son, Aeron, to accompany me upstairs." 

Rodolphus got on his feet faster than his father could respond. Tom smiled contently and nodded at Ophelia before he walked back into the corridor and up the stairs. They didn't enter a room because Tom turned to Lestrange and nudged Ophelia forward.

"This is a task of utmost importance. I need you to teach Ophelia everything you have been taught. No! No questions, just do as I say." Tom hissed, his eyes dangerously staring at the young Lestrange.

Rodolphus nodded but that didn't mean he liked the idea. Probably that was the main reason he tortured Ophelia numerous times all throughout August.

* * *

"Do you have everything?" Cerberus asked, pacing in front of the chimney nervously. 

"I do," she said, coming down the stairs with her trunk and cage.

Willy seemed extremely content with the new arrangements. He loved flying around at dawn and he suddenly became interested in delivering her correspondance. 

"Alright, so everything is done so now...well, yeah. You should go first." He rambled, eventually turning to her with a smile.

"How?" 

"Right! Right, where did I put the Floo Powder. Agh, I should teach you how to apparate instead." 

"Why don't I accompany you when you apparate?" She asked watching him search the library for the small sack of powder. 

Cerberus blushed, hiding his face behind his shoulder.

"I can't do it right. I always get splinched," he mumbled, his ears growing red too.

* * *

In the end, Ophelia did reach Platform 9 3/4 ten minutes before the deadline. She hurried inside and searched for a place to sit by herself but every single compartment was occupied. She was ready to go and stay with some first years when a door slid open and out walked James Potter, smiling to himself. 

Ophelia froze, thinking if she should turn around and run away or face him, because they were going to meet every day anyway. 

"Badge! How has you summer been?" Potter yelled after her before she could take a decision.

"Not as bright as yours, I'm sure." She mumbled, trying her best to look for an escape route.

"Ah right, my dad told me about you know...I'm sorry for your loss." He said looking genuinely sorrowful.

"It's not like our relationship was great," she replied, looking to the side.

"With your parents? No one has great relationships with family...or Hogwarts professors." 

Ophelia's eyes narrowed, only now realizing that Potter was talking about her adoptive parents not Spinnard. Well, he talked too much and didn't see the signs that would give her away so it was alright.

"Will you be playing Quidditch this year too? Will Wood let you?" She changed the subject to something she knew would keep him talking.

"Of course! Well, I don't know because Wood is a giant troll at times but I'd like to get that position. Blimey, badge, there is no better feeling than the squirming golden snitch in your hand." 

His eyes were sparkling with enthusiasm, which was a sight she helped create. It was nice to see Potter happy; it was nice to see people in general happy after a month of torture.

"Come on badge, stay with us," 

She wanted to politely deny but he already wrapped a hand around her neck and more or less forced her along. 

His cabin only had Sirius and Remus inside and one was reading while the other was munching his nails anxiously.

"Gah, why did he choose to stay with those pricks! There is no reason to look up to them, imbecile Slytherins," Sirius exploded verbally, continuing his rant no matter who entered his compartment.

"Look who I found in the corridor!" Potter interrupted, barging in with a very skeptical girl.

Remus put the book down when he noticed it wasn't another boy and smiled. Sirius only shut up and sat back down with a pout.

"Hello, Ophelia. I hope you didn't drag her here from her friends, James." Remus scolded his friend, his tone more like a parent than a real parent.

"She was in the corridor, searching for friends. Luckily, I could feel a Gryffindor was in need of help." Potter reasoned but Remus only rolled his eyes knowingly.

"It happened before," the smart boy added to himself, making Potter gasp.

"It was different back then! You were listening to McGriever talk about-" 

Ophelia blocked him out, seeing how they weren't going to stop anytime soon. In the end, she sat next to a still very anxious Sirius Black. Her gaze was a lot heavier than she believed because the boy turned to her with a frown.

"What?" He asked eventually.

"You look worried. Something happened with your dark wizard family?" 

"Why? You'll rub it in my face if it had?" He barked at her, without a real reason except her being perceptive.

"My parents died at the beginning of the summer. I am the last person to rub anything in your face." 

It wasn't the news as it was the nonchalance she said it with. Her parents died and even if two months passed, she looked well.

"I'm sorry," Sirius said, the frown falling off his face. "It's not my family, not yet. It's Reg."

"Your younger brother," 

It was quite a surprise she remembered that but Sirius shrugged it off.

"It's his first year and instead of staying with me or other first years, he went along with my cousin." He stopped, just to cringe at the sole idea someone could do that, and continued, "Who would even step in the vicinity of Narcissa. She's been all lovely with Malfoy..." 

"Isn't this her final year? They'll be gone before you know it." Remus pitched in, finally ending his argument with Potter.

"They will but let's not forget there are still a lot of Slytherins that belong in Azkaban." Potter interfered too with a sneer.

"What's Azkaban?" Ophelia asked, curiously glancing from Sirius to Remus.

"A highly protected prison for wizards that go against the law." Remus explained. "You know how muggle prisons have guards, in Azkaban they are called Dementors." 

Oh. Oh! Dementors, like the cloaked creature with a hole instead of mouth that atttacked her in the Forbidden Forest.

"Are Dementors used for all types of guarding? Can a wizard hire them to, let's say, guard an object." 

The three boys seemed extremely intrigued by how curious she was when it came to dark magic, dark creatures, dark anything. 

"I don't know but I have never read about a Dementor being hired. Their existance is to guard Azkaban." Remus answered, really thinking back on what he read about that subject.

"Have you ever seen one, badge? I heard that when a Dementor is near, you feel like you will never be happy again." Potter mumbled, saying what he heard from his father most probably. 

"It feels like everything you loved has been an illusion and reality is cold and empty." She added, remembering what she felt, "I met one before and it was horrible." 

"As long as one listens to the lessons at school, there is a way to protect yourself against anything." Remus stated in a smart ass tone, making the two other boys scoff. 

The rest of the train ride passed relatively fun with Potter telling everyone how interesting has been his summer with his parents. On the other side, Remus had very few things to say while Sirius had a lot to complain about. 

"And Malfoy came over for dinner because why in Merlin's beard would they dine in their own house?! And that infuriating Lucius Twoface was so gallant with my cousin that everyone believed it! But you know what? After he finished he asked if he could use the loo which was fine by me but I found him snooping around! That bloody idiot!"

"Don't overreact," Ophelia said rolling her eyes.

"I found him in _my_ room, Molley. He was searching for something." 

But Ophelia could still not feel any empathy for his matter because in the end, there was no proof that Malfoy wasn't just curious more than searching for something. If he needed something, that was tact which he obviously didn't have. 

"How was your summer, Ophelia? Except the loss of your parents, of course. Everyone was really sorry to hear about it." Remus interfered after such a long hour of Sirius' rambling on and on.

"How did you find out?" 

"It was in the Daily Prophet. There have been more muggle deaths in the past year than in the past decade. The Ministry's being extra careful and placed Aurors everywhere." Potter informed the rest. 

"Aurors are like the head detectives from the Scotland Yard." Remus explained when he noticed the frown on Ophelia's face. 

"Right. I had to move to a different place and since I am underage, I got a guardian that's going to look after me." She replied sincerely but avoiding details. "I spend more time at Hogwarts than at home so it's alright." She assured them with a smile. The witch really looked too happy for someone who should be at least nostalgic. 

* * *

By the time they arrived at the station it was already night. As soon as she hopped off the train, the girls found her and they took the carriage together. Cissney had a lot to say and everyone repeated the same _I'm sorry for your loss_ sentence on the way to the Great Hall. It was so repetitive that Ophelia didn't reply anymore to her fellow Gryffindors. 

The entry song by the Hat was as much of a riddle as everything coming out that ragged hole of a mouth and the ceremony begun with great delight for the Hufflepuffs. But then Sirius became really interested in the next kid.

"Black, Regulus," McGonagall called out and Ophelia saw a skinny boy with dark locks and a pointy nose go up and sit on the chair. 

"Slytherin!" The hat screamed and Sirius' face fell into a poker face.

"They will take good care of him, Sirius. I'm sure they won't bully one of their own." Frank was only trying to comfort his friend but both Sirius and Ophelia scoffed.

"We all know what kind of care that will be." Ophelia muttered, getting a harsh nudge from the person standing next to her, which was actually Lily.

With the Sorting Ceremony done and the feast filling Ophelia's stomach like never before, Dumbledore rose and silenced the Hall. 

"Welcome, welcome everyone to another year at Hogwarts. I am sad to inform you that Luce Spinnard has stepped down from his position as professor of Defence against the Dark Arts." 

A sudden wave of anger flooded the green eyed witch, the truth about Spinnard being far from such a petty reason.

"Luckily, we have found a replacement that I assure you, will be as great as your former professor. Let me introduce you to Cerberus Knowingall." Dumbledore announced with a smile.

A man that looked younger than he truly was raised on his feet and waved nervously at the students, many rumors already zooming through the hall.

"How old is he? He looks inexperienced." Alice started, looking at the others before glancing at Cerberus again.

"He was a friend of Spinnard's." Ophelia informed the others, "Their skills are pretty much the same but Cerberus is fun."

"How can you know for sure?" Lily asked curiously.

"I met him before." She answered trying her best not to say the truth. 

"I've seen him before too. He was in the dungeons at the end of last year, right? He wanted to speak to Spinnard." Remus added, making her lie sound more believable. "You said he is a family friend."

"Yeah. Family friend."


	49. Excitement

Dinner ended with the same announcements, don't enter the forbidden places, don't anger Filtch, don't lose points by being foolish. With everything done, the students retreated to their common rooms and the Gryffindors followed their Prefect, which was Zachary, up to the tower. It was a silent night, with everyone unpacking and talking about their lives. 

"So, Pheli, where do you live now? I heard from bubble mouth Potter that you moved." Cissney started, turning to Ophelia and sitting on her bed.

"I'm not sure what's the address but it's pretty much in the middle of the forest. Our only neighbor is an old hag that likes to eavesdrop." The brunette witch replied, concentrating on unpacking.

At the mention of the old hag and the forest, Ophelia noticed how silent it got in the room and looked at the girls only to see all three of them imagining the sight. 

Chuckling, Ophelia grabbed her wand and whispered _Legilimens_ , curious what they were seeing. It really depended on each of their perspectives: for example, Lily was a muggle born so her mind went immediately to the house of the bad witch in Hansel and Gretel, situated in the middle of a thick forest with crows all around. Alice was quite close to Lily's image,only it looked like a cottage from ancient times. Grown into a pureblooded family, Cissney's image was more of an all enchanted house with the chores done by themselves and a lot of wizarding equipement. 

Seeing how everyone was wrong, Ophelia altered their minds so that the image was exactly how the exterior of the house looked. They all gasped and awed before Cissney sat on Ophelia's bed and sighed.

"Not bad, Pheli. But there is a lot of place for improvements. The wizarding kind." She said before she rolled on her back, "By the way, doesn't professor Knowingall looks so dreamy?" 

Ophelia tried not to laugh which instead sounded like a snort. 

"What? He is handsome, we can give him that. He looks young too," Cissney added.

"But Pheli said he and Spinnard are friends. Isn't Spinnard like super old or something?" Alice asked, giving her honest opinion.

"He's probably in his forties. I'm more surprised Spinnard left so easily after two years. There were rumors that Dumbledore bribed him to come and teach at Hogwarts for another year and now he just stepped down..." 

Lily was a smart girl and could sense something was odd about the whole situation and Ophelia couldn't blame her. Actually, even if the whole school would hear the truth, there was no real sympathy for the dark professor. The whole school hated him and he hated students as much as he hated Lillian. 

"I'm not going to cry but I do feel a tear of happiness coming out," Cissney joked, easing the atmosphere and making everyone laugh.

* * *

The girls talked for the whole night and went to sleep sometime near 3 in the morning. Ophelia took a glance at her serpent ring before she closed her eyes with a smile on her face. 

The next time she opened her eyes was early in the morning, maybe 7-ish. Lily woke up everyone with sparkling eyes.

"Come on, wake up lazies. Today we'll find what subjects all of us chose. Besides, I heard there will be clubs representers waiting for us in the Entrance Hall." She said everything too fast for three girls that just woke up.

"What clubs? Why are you such a morning person?" Ophelia asked, having a difficult time understanding how someone could be so active already.

"It's going to be fun," Lily encouraged them before taking her pillow and hitting Ophelia straight in the face, only making her lay back down. 

Aproximately half an hour later, the girls realized what the excitement was about: extracurricular activities begun in the third year and there were a lot to choose from. 

"Oi, girls come here!" That was Wood and he was showing off a miniature of a Quidditch player that looked a lot like a figurine made of clay. "Tryouts are in a month and we'd be delighted to have you try for any position you fancy! We may even create a support team!" He said laughing bemusedly but the girls were not amused at all. 

Another club that seemed to have a line formed in front was choir, there was also one about magical creatures, another one about plants and health, even for potions and how you could use them in your day to day life. Overall, it was intense. But there were also more muggle-ish clubs like the chess club, the student council, the art club, the music club and so on. It was unexpectedly crowded and a lot of third years were running around like ants.

"Quite a party, isn't it?" Sirius surprised the girls, followed by the rest of the boys.

"Where's your other half?" Cissney asked curious if he was sleeping still. But Sirius pointed at the Quidditch club and there was Potter, visibly annoying Wood with his excitement. 

"Should have expected it," literally everyone said that.

"So, I guess we should venture into the wilderness, huh?" Lily asked with a sour face, to which everyone agreed.

Ophelia went straight to the dueling club,as soon as she laid eyes on it. The person at the stand was showing an example of a defensive stance. No one had their robes on yet so Ophelia couldn't be sure it was a Slytherin or a Hufflepuff. 

"We should open up our own dueling club with everything Spinnard taught us during detention." Sirius, again, found her into the mess but it looked like he was trying to get his mind off his troubles.

"Spinnard didn't know how to duel smartly. He only taught us how to attack before being attacked." She explained, having Mr. Potter as a much better example. "I was also thinking about the divination club. I'd like a glimpse into the future." 

"Pff, that's rubbish. No one believes a word from those guys. Better concentrate on what you already know so you can sharpen your skill." 

"Says the boy who knows dark arts." Ophelia mumbled, her eye catching sight of Severus. He was looking at the potions club. He must have sensed someone was staring at him because he looked up and their eyes met. He didn't turn his head so Ophelia took that as a good sign. 

"Are you listening to me, Molley?" Sirius' voice came back into the front but Ophelia already had other matters to solve.

"Sorry, I've gotta run," she said quickly and walked towards the muggle stuff club which was right next to the potions club.

* * *

Severus had an overall usual summer, except maybe now the end of it was more meaningful. He met Lily regularly and since they weren't allowed to use magic, they spoke about it. And then came July and the front page had the minister speaking, the column below explaining how two more muggles died in their home, Molley was their name. That struck Severus more than he thought and all he could think about afterwards was how lonely Ophelia must feel.

"Severus," 

The boy with owl eyes stopped walking and turned to her. She was staring at him with not enough melancholy and saddness after such an event in her life. 

"Let's meet again to study. Our usual cursed desk in the library." Ophelia added, hoping he will agree. He didn't say yes but didn't refuse either; he just left.

"I'd say you should try harder. Put more effort in showing your genuinity." Cerberus commented from the side, having students zoom past him quicker than he could run at his age. 

"You didn't tell me you will take Spinnard's job," the green eyed witch started, shrugging his advice off.

"Yeah, well, I wasn't so sure about it either. And Dumbledore asked me to teach Occlumency too. That's really a lot compared to how much he pays me." Cerberus complained right away. 

"You'll make an interesting professor." Ophelia said with a sarcastic smile and walked back into the crowd. 

Cerberus watched her leave with one question bugging him.

"Was she being sarcastic?" He asked himself, already feeling like his new job got harder. He couldn't even think much on the matter because a bulky boy walked past him, slightly hitting him on shoulder. 

The bulky boy walked straight to the blond Slytherin Prefect and ignored everyone on the way, including the new professor. Lucius was surprised when Rabastan appeared next to him but played it cool.

"The Dark Lord put my brother in charge of Ophelia's dark arts training. Let's just say I heard many screams all through August." Rabastan started in a whisper.

"The lessons for this year have alreay been prepared. As long as Rodolphus is busy, we'll take care of her." Lucius answered in a cool manner, lookig lile everything was fine.

But Rabastan knew his brother best and it was better to curse him rather than coming to a solution with him.

* * *

In the end, Ophelia returned to the dueling club and signed up to that. Walking into the Great Hall, she felt like she could finally breathe. Only Remus and Frank were there, eating silently while commenting here and there. When she sat down, the boys turned to her with sympathetic faces.

"It's savage out there," Ophelia informed the two.

"It will pass. Anyway, McGonagall already gave us our timetables. You can thank us later."  Frank informed her right before he handed hers. 

It was really interesting how most of her free time was now gone. She had the normal lessons like Potions, DADA, Transfiguration, etc but she also had Occlumency, Care of Magical Creatures and Runes. 

"I was so sure I wrote Muggle Studies not Runes," the witch muttered to herself. "What about the rest?" 

"I believe everyone's taking Care of Magical Creatures but I'm not sure about the others." Frank answered, "For example, I have Muggle Studies, Arithmancy and Care of Magical Creatures." 

"Muggle Studies seems like an easy exam, to be sincere. Probably every muggle born and half blood's taking it." Remus added using logic. "Why did you choose Occlumency?" 

"Because I'm good at it," she replied quickly before changing the subject, "What club did you sign up for?" 

"Dueling," was Frank's answer, "Spinnard made me realize it's quite helpful at times." 

Ophelia smiled before both of them turned to Remus.

"None. I prefer to study for what will help me for real in the future." The boy said in that same parental tone.

"Look at him, Frank. Growing so fast. He'll make a good husband in the future." Ophelia joked, her tone sounding very familiar.

"I'm starving! Oh, Remus, Frank and badge, the studious trio. How wonderful, you're starting early in the year. I'll count on you during exams." Potter spoke all the way to the table. 

"I thought you said you don't need help. That you are gifted." Frank commented when he saw that James sat next to him, "I'm not giving you my notes, Mr. Gifted." 

"I will." Ophelia pitched in, surprising the bookworm standing next to her. 

Wasn't that a strange turn of events...Potter really got under Ophelia's skin.

* * *

As soon as breakfast ended and they fetched their books, everyone walked groggily to the first class of the day which was History of Magic. 

"We're going to die of boredom," James whined before he even reached the classroom.

"Not if we think about something else or catch up on sleep." Was Black's answer which got instead a few scoffs from the more responsible colleagues.

But that gave Ophelia a great idea. Legilimency was definitely going to be helpful during boring classes.

That was how she sat in the back behind Potter and placed her head on her desk with a smirk. She closed her eyes and barely touched her wand before entering his mind. 

What he was thinking about had no connection to history but to Quidditch; he was imagining flying around Hogwarts before suddenly flying by himself without a broom. Then it changed quickly to Potter hitting Wood and sending him through the huge circle. 

It was so funny that she started to laugh to herself without realizing.

"Molley, is the Revolution of Giants funny to you?" The professor asked, scowling at the student.

"No, sir. Sorry," she apologized before choosing her next victim: Longbottom. 

Next class was Herbology before lunch and then two hours of Runes. Afterwards was the meeting for the dueling club that could literally take the whole afternoon. Yep, busy third year.

When they got in the green house, Ophelia was snatched aside by Remus and Frank. It was a lot nicer working with them than anyone else. 

"Tomorrow's the first Occlumency lesson. I heard half of the Slytherin house chose it so be careful." 

Ophelia frowned before she turned to Frank.

"Did not even one Gryffindor apply for Occlumency? No one except me?" She asked and both boys nodded, "Great. Mulciber's face for an entire hour..." 

"At least Snape's there. I overheard Lily saying he tried to convince her to take it with him but she chose Muggle Studies. Everything for the team I guess." Frank added, making Remus glance at the girl in their team warily. She didn't say anything but she looked like she took that comment to heart.

"I'm sure Occlumency is fun too. It's just complicated. I heard people can get stuck in their own minds if they aren't well taught. Professor Knowingall, he seems-" Remus didn't know what to say.

"I didn't choose Occlumency randomly. If that means handling a few Slytherins, fine by me. What can go wrong?" She mumbled, keeping positive for now. The boys glanced at each other with worry but didn't word their thoughts out.

* * *

"Welcome third years to the Dueling Club! I'm super excited already, as you can see, because a lot of you came this year. My name is Da Fu and I'm a proud Hufflepuff! I'm also the head of this club as of this year."

He might have been waiting for applause in encouragement but no one moved an inch. Frank glanced at Ophelia who looked bemused by the Hufflepuff. Sirius, James, Lily and Alice were there as well but none looked as excited as the Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws. There was literally no Slytherin.

 "Anyway, let's grab a partner and stick with him or her for the rest of the term. We'll switch every term so that you'll get to duel with different styles. I'm sure by the end of this year, you'll improve quite a lot."

"He has no idea," Potter mumbled, nudging Sirius. Surprisingly, the person that came to the glasses boy was the girl that no one expected. "Is there something wrong, badge?" He asked, having no idea what she was expecting from him.

"Let's be partners this term, _James._ " 

Lily's eyes widened and she remained speechless which could also be said for Frank and Alice. On the other hand, Sirius couldn't believe the genuine glint in Ophelia's green eyes. There was something she was planning and somehow part of her scheme was to get closer to his best friend as of yet. 

Potter stood there, many thoughts swirling through his mind, most of them questions. It was so odd how she took the initiative and asked him-no, she boldly informed him of her choice. 

"Is there a problem? Should I choose someone else?" Ophelia asked, her eyes widening a bit and slightly looking hurt. Potter swallowed nervously before he shook his head and went along with Ophelia's one sided choice.

"This is very suspicious. Tell me I'm not the only one who finds this perturbing in a way." Frank muttered once Potter and Ophelia walked aside among the rest of the teams. "I guess that leaves-" He turned towards the partner he wanted which was Lily but she already moved aside with Alice. That left the two boys by themselves, both grunting at how unfortunate was their first dueling day.

Da Fu proved to be very passionate and gave detailed instrictions to his members. It was fun how the five Gryffindors were taking everything in at a very quick pace. On the other hand, every time a particularly messy Ravenclaw pair missed, the ones near them got the blast, which were Frank and Sirius. 

"I don't like this arrangement. Give me my partner back, Molley," Sirius started grumpily as soon as they walked out the door. 

"I don't want to." 

Lily and Alice glanced at each other but didn't say anything for the time being. 

"Come on, let's not fight over Potter." Frank interfered, literally moving between the two. "I never thought I'd say that. Anyway, let's enjoy ourselves. We're third years now!" 

Dinner was spent with Potter making up to his friend and Ophelia asking Cissney about the other members of the club. It was a lot of chatting that after-noon but it seemed lively compared to the last two years.


	50. Getting Friendly with the Enemy

Tuesday begun with a lot of moaning from Gryffindors. They had Double Potions, Occlumency, Lunch, DADA and Care of Magical Creatures. Besides, everyone who signed up for the student council had a meeting right after dinner. Now, wondering who wanted to be in the student council, it wasn't a surprise that Lily and Cissney chose it. 

"It's like fighting for the needs and desires of the students of Hogwarts. I find it very useful." Lily explained at breakfast when asked.

"I am quite good at interacting with people and have a lot of information up here, about everyone." Cissney explained when she was asked, pointing at her head. "I know every single thing that happens in Hogwarts." She added, boasting abut her social influence.

Ophelia hid her chuckle behind the mug of tea, but Potter scoffed loudly, making Cissney glare at him.

Right after breakfast, Ophelia took her time when walking out of the Hall, having no desire to arrive in the classroom earlier than needed. She was thinking about a lot of things, most of them regarding August and her short time in the Lestrange household. Yeah, she figured out where Tom took her and she was not excited to go back there soon. Passing the Slytherin table, she took a glimpse at Rodolphus and shivered when she saw him laugh. 

_"I'm not so sure I want to follow you into the basement," Ophelia murmured, having Rodolphus drag her down a set of stairs. It was growing dark and cold and she was sure that place was not at all the same as Spinnard's basement._

_"Shut up and enter." He ordered her coldly, making her swallow nervously._

_The seventh year student walked for a few minutes before he arrived in front of a door. The sight Ophelia met was bloody: there were cells on one side of the wall, with an actual being inside, while the other had only one locked room._

_"What's in there?" She couldn't help but ask._

_"Nothing. But if you don't do as I say, you'll end up like that house elf," he said, pointing at a cell._

_Ophelia frowned and walked closer to the bars, wrapping her hands around them so she could lean on them to see better. Inside, in the darkness, was a small creature that had blood dripping from the side of his head, eyes sore from crying and half of his body was burnt. He was dressed in a worn out cloth, not even covering his entire body. The creature looked up at her with its wide blue eyes and whimpered, the pain showing into his eyes. His hands were free but his legs were chained._

_"This is barbaric," Ophelia whispered, not believing what she was seeing._

_"You'd think so, wouldn't you?" The older boy scoffed before he turned to the house elf, "Why are you in there, Dilys?" Rodolphus asked, his voice resonating on the walls._

_Poor Dilys could barely open his mouth to speak but Ophelia did catch the elf's murmur._

_"Dilys has cleaned the sheets inside master Rodolphus' room with an ill scented soap. Dilys tried to make the scent go away, knowing master doesn't like lavender but-" the elf had to take a breath of air before he added, "It was Dilys' mistake. Dilys is sorry."_

_Ophelia's eyes were tearing up at the way that small being was speaking. Those blue eyes of his teared up and he couldn't even wipe them off. He couldn't really move from what she could see._

_"There, the reason why he's in here. That's what happens when you don't do your job right. You better take notes, Molley." Rodolphus explained, his eyes narrowing at the elf before moving forward. "Come already if you don't want to look the same!" He screamed, Dilys' eyes widening at the girl that seemed to empathize with his pain._

_They walked a few steps more until they arrived in a large hall where Ophelia saw four knight armors leaning against the three walls she could see. Rodolphus pulled Ophelia in the middle of the hall and took a few steps back before he smirked. He whispered some spell that created fog, having Ophelia stand in the middle of an unknown place and taking away the sight from her._

_"Protect yourself, Molley." He advised the third year student before he literally vanished._

_Ophelia drew her wand out from her back pocket and took a deep breath before letting it out shakily. Looking around, she saw a shadow to her right and quickly attacked._

_"Stupefy!" She screamed but the spell bounced off whatever it hit and hit her instead, throwing her against something very hard and cold._

_The girl got up and leaned against whatever she fell against before something grabbed her hand and threw her against the wall. Her back hurt like heck and she could barely get on her hands and feet when she heard people walking. Wait, not people but armors. She could hear their clinking and even noticed two pairs of steel boots moving towards her._

_Ophelia was horrified what those knights could do to her so she tried again._

_"Crucio!" She screamed, hoping a deadly curse would pass through the armor but it didn't. Ophelia's green eyes widened and she screamed in pain, her whole body growing numb until she fainted._

_She woke up on the ground in the same hall but the sight was clear and the armors were in their places against the walls. Ophelia rose, a bit hard but she managed. There was no one there to help her or rub her aching back. There was no one and if she wanted to get out of there, she had to walk by herself and eventually face Rodolphus, who will probably send her back for another round._

Ophelia shuddered again at the memory. That cruciatus curse hurt like nothing she had ever experienced before and her back had a lot of bruises. It was a wonder how she could hide it until now from the girls but moreover, from Cerberus. 

Walking without really paying attention, when she wanted to go towards the dungeons, she crashed into someone who was running towards her. The boy was short and very skinny; his pointed nose and dark eyes reminded her of someone but not exactly. He looked at her but didn't scoff or push her. Instead, the boy helped her up and apologized.

"I'm sorry. I was-uh-I was in a hurry to-uh-" He was searching for an answer, clearly not wanting to tell her what he was really running from.

"Herbology?" Ophelia asked, knowing no one has Herbology in the morning. 

"Right, right. Herbology. That works," the boy said quickly, getting ready to walk up the stairs not outside towards the green rooms.

"Herbology's done in the green rooms, outside," she stated, pointing at the front door. "Are you really alright?"

"Sure." The boy mumbled, wiping the dust off his robes. Now that she was looking closely, he had the Slytherin colors all over his attire. "I have to run now. Sorry again!"

Ophelia watched him leave, still going up the stairs not outside. Well, it wasn't her business, not even when a group of first year Slytherins walked out from the dungeon while she walked down, past them. They were laughing loudly and some sneered at her which Ophelia found amusing.

* * *

"I'm glad to inform you that this year we'll be learning how to prepare Confusing Concotion and Shrinking Solution, which can be very dangerous so please be careful around your classmates. For now you won't work in pairs or groups, we've all seen how that can go, so try to do your best." Slughorn said with a nervous smile. 

Working by herself, Ophelia was horrible yet not as bad as she used to be. It seemed that Rabastan's influence worth something and Rodolphus' torturing ways were enough to make her fear failure. She got another shiver when she remembered the moment he made that clear.

_Every day after everyone was going to sleep at home, which only meant Cerberus, Ophelia had to go to the Lestrange household using the Floo Powder and be tortured in different ways by Rodolphus. He'd drag her down into the basement and lock her in there. Walking past Dilys' cell every night, she could feel her heart break piece by piece. It was such a horrible sight and he was the only victim in there._

_Once in the hall, the knights would come to life spontaneously and attack her but whatever spell she'd use, it would bounce off and hit her instead. She fell so much that her back was a very ugly purple color._

_One night she was dragging herself back after a very long and horrible night with the knights when she fell against the bars of Dilys' cell._

_"M-miss shouldn't use magic." Dilys whispered, his voice hoarse._

_"If not magic then what should I do? Hit them? Fight with my bare hands?" She asked, her back hurting when she moved._

_"Miss can use transfiguration," Dilys advised her, her eyes widening at the idea. She got up, though it still hurt, but at least she had a new idea she could try out._

_"Thank you." she said, smiling softly at the creature in pain._

_The next night, Ophelia had a lot more energy until Rodolphus followed her inside instead of locking her by herself._

_"This is the last time. If you don't win against them, you'll be tortured for real." Rodolphus said coldly, his voice low and tired._

_Luckily, with Dilys' help, Ophelia straightened her back and tried her best to concentrate. She could hear the armors pacing around her until she saw a shadow. Instead of screaming some curse, she used transfiguration to change the armor into the first thing she could think of: keys. By the time the fog dissipated, there were 12 keys spread around the floor._

_"Finally," Rodolphus mumbled, rolling his eyes. "You're slower than I imagined, Molley."_

_"Whatever," she muttered to herself, yet feeling a new sense of achievement. "What now? Am I going to fight you?"_

_"No. Not yet," he said with a sneer._

_Instead, the next night, Rodolphus apparated in her garden and urged her towards the forest. With every step taken deeper into it, Ophelia noticed slight differences in temperature. It was August but it became so cold that she could see the vapors of her breath. Her subconscious knew what was there and the hair on her back rose in anticipation. The grass was freezing and silence engulfed the surroundings. It was even more awful when she felt a black creature hovering over her from behind. She was terrified, especially after her patronus form abandoned her the last time._

_"It seems you can conjure a clear patronus form so go ahead. Use it so you can survive."_

_"How do you even know about that?" Ophelia asked, frowning at the older boy. The Dementor behind her flied to the side, in waiting, before she saw three more flying closer._

_"Aren't you going to save yourself, Molley? Will you let a few Dementors feast on your soul?"_

_That was a sight that she didn't want to see but she couldn't think of any happy memory. With Spinnard and her parents being dead, there was really nothing to think of. It was so bad that when the Dementors started to circle her, closing on their prey, Ophelia closed her eyes, terrified that she was going to die._

_"Think of a happy memory, Molley. There must be something after all."_

_"They're gone," she whispered, her heart beating quickly, "They're all gone."_

_Rodolphus watched her panicking, even bending on her knees and whispering things like **I'm going to die** or **I have no one left.** It was a bad sight and no matter how much he liked to see her praying for her life, she wasn't begging for help, she wasn't even considering his help. It was a mystery how and why the Dark Lord came in contact with her and even more surprising was the moment he was asked to train Ophelia. But the Dark Lord said clearly that Ophelia was not to die._

_"Think of anything that makes you happy, Molley. Anything and anyone. Snape, for example."_

_Ophelia's eyes widened and she turned to Rodolphus with her mouth agape. One Dementor flied so close to her that she fell backwards and the others started to feed off her happy memories. There must have been some since they were eating something so with a heavy sigh and a very recent moment in mind, she screamed._

_"Expecto Patronum!"_

_The form that appeared out her wand was a fox, the small animal running around her and scratching the dark creatures. She was saved and the form didn't disappear immediately. It was amazing and with the coldness disappearing, Ophelia could finally relax._

_"Good work, Molley. Tomorrow you'll be facing twice as many Dementors and maybe a few more things. It depends on the Dark Lord."_

_The next week ended up being more of a trap course than anything, with dangerous animals and creatures everywhere and even people cursing at her. It was horrible and Ophelia ended up with a lot of wounds and even scratches on her face. On the last day of August, Ophelia crawled in her bed and slept until lunch when Cerberus came into her room._

_"Oi, are you really that tired? You've been-" he stopped and he gasped, seeing the scratches on her face. "What happened to you!?"_

_Ophelia sighed as her guardian uncovered her and took a look at her body. He frowned and grabbed her face softly, turning her head to each side, analyzing the damage._

_"I fell."_

_Cerberus let her go and looked at her with serious brown eyes. His expression was one that Ophelia had only seen once around Spinnard._

_"I'm sorry." Ophelia muttered, looking down at her hands. Her fingers were swollen and she could hardly move her right hand._

The training stopped but the scars remained and so did the memories. Cutting the scurvy grass into tiny pieces, Ophelia cut her finger by mistake. Seeing the blood drip slowly, she remembered Dilys. Poor house elf could be dead by now for all she knew.

* * *

Occlumency was next and the classroom was on the fifth floor, facing the gold armor and the portrait of a dog. Cerberus was already inside, his back turned to the door so he couldn't see her. After Ophelia entered Nott, who was careful to scowl at her presence.

"What are you doing here, Molley? This isn't a class for someone like you," he very bluntly offended her.

"I thought Slytherins are trained from a very young age, for example 5, in everything that could favor them in life. Weren't Occlumency and Legilimency among those things?" She asked, grabbing Cerberus' attention yet he didn't turn.

"I'd be careful to change classes if I were you. You don't know who'll get into your pretty head and mess around." Nott added, threatening her even if she didn't feel so.

"I didn't know you thought my head is pretty," she teased him, seeing the boy blush and scoff before he moved as far from her as possible. Ophelia couldn't help but chuckle to herself, bemused by his reaction. 

In the next few minutes, almost every third year Slytherin entered the classroom and kept their distance from the only Gryffindor. In the whole class there were six Slytherins, three Ravenclaws , three Hufflepuffs and one Gyrffindor. Cerberus smiled at his 13 students and prepared himself for a year of spontaneity. 

"Welcome, I am Cerberus Knowingall and I'll introduce you into the world of one's mind. I'll teach you how to guard your mind against exterior manipulation."

"This is a waste of time. Why not teach us Legilimency. I don't need to protect my mind but use it so that I can be that exterior manipulation, professor." Mulciber spoke for most of his house mates. 

"There's a lot more to guarding your mind than you believe. It can greatly help you against a skilled Legilimens and it can protect you when facing the imperius curse." Cerberus explained before he grabbed his wand and walked in front of Mulciber. "Want to try it, Lucas?"

"Mulciber's first name is Lucas?" Ophelia couldn't help but ask the person next to her, which was a Ravenclaw whose name she didn't know. 

"Lucas Mulciber, Augustus Nott, Severus Snape and Arwel Avery. The two girls are Katie Rosier, the younger sister of Evan Rosier and Gwen Hopkins." The Ravenclaw boy explained, pointing at the Slytherin group.

"And who are you?"

"Timothy Goldstein. Nice to meet you." The blond smiled and shook Ophelia's hand warmly. "The other Ravenclaws are Rory Jones and Rhys Barnaby. The Hufflepuffs are Thomas something, Rufus McMillan and Dorothy Martinez." Timothy answered, going over everyone in the room. "And you're Ophelia Molley, the only Gryffindor that chose Occlumency this year." 

Ophelia blinked, Timothy's face shifting into Cissney's for a moment. It was so strange how two people that didn't know each other could be so alike. 

The first Occlumency lesson was not amazing. No one could really participate and no matter how much Cerberus tried to enter everyone's minds at once, it was challenging. The professor had to come up with a better idea and he had one in mind but may not be the best.

"You're going to exhaust yourself if you do it every week." Ophelia approached Cerberus when the lesson ended. He looked pale and he sat down as soon as the two hours passed.

"I know but I can't risk teaching Legilimency at the same time or else Slytherins will go around entering everyone's mind. Even the others might do it for fun."Cerberus replied, sighing at the end. "Dumbledore should pay me a lot more."

"You do realize you'll have four hours of DADA every week for every house, right?" Ophelia asked, leaning against his desk.

"I arranged with Dumbledore so that I can pair two houses with two houses. Unfortunately, Gryffindors are paired with Slytherins. I didn't make that choice, Dumbledore did." Cerberus added quickly, raising his hands in defense. 

"It seems like Mulciber and Avery are the two Slytherins who can't control their desire for chaos. I took a glimpse into their minds and they were both thinking of ways to enter yours. I think they'll try and learn Legilimency by themselves." Ophelia told her professor, getting a playful glare in return. 

"They'll learn it in their dark arts lessons. I heard a lot of seventh years came together and will soon begin their lessons."

"Good for them." Ophelia answered simply before she waved at her professor and left for lunch. Cerberus sighed and closed his eyes, feeling his head split in two. He could see why Spinnard hated teaching so much; it was literally a continuous pain.

* * *

Ophelia was silently walking towards the Great Hall when she saw Rodolphus Lestrange talking to Malfoy. They both stopped and the more dangerous student glared at her.

"Lucius, be nice and inform Molley where our meeting will take place. I will make sure she won't die on her first day."

Ophelia felt like scoffing. While Rodolphus left, bumping onto her shoulder on the way, Lucius stayed back with a frown. 

"If I didn't die while he trained me then I'm not going to die at Hogwarts." The witch assured Lucius. She was slightly taller, easily reaching Lucius' chest now and her hair was reaching her mid back. Her eyes seemed to have elongated even more, or maybe it was the scratch she had on her temple. "By the way, Lucius, will I learn how to apparate during the dark arts lessons?"

"Why? You have plans?" The blond asked, not really caring but still showing some type of curiosity.

"That's why I asked. I need to check on someone." She admitted without considering that Lucius might tell his housemate.


	51. In the Presence of Bellatrix Black

"Blimey, professor Knowingall is far better than Spinnard. Did you see Mulciber's face when his arse was handed back to him? I felt like hugging Knowingall!" Sirius exclaimed during dinner, a happy expression residing on his face. 

Ophelia glanced over her shoulder at the Slyhterin table and chuckled. Mulciber was still angry and Sirius' loud voice was not helping at all. 

_Going back a few hours, everyone met at lunch and spoke about the fun in Muggle Studies. The girls were incredibly happy and the boys were impartial. Lily and Remus seemed to be the only people that actually took notes._

_"How was Occlumency?" Cissney asked, everyone turning towards her with interest._

_Ophelia placed her muffin down and opened her mouth but couldn't find the right words to describe it. She hummed and took a peek at the staff table before she finally gave them an answer._

_"Eventless."_

_That one word was not enough to satisfy the curiosity of James Potter so he leaned forward and took a long look at her face._

_"You look fine. I'll believe you for now."_

_"You do realize it's not just her and Mulciber in that class. Professor Knowingall wouldn't let anyone fight during his lesson." Lily commented from her seat between Frank and Alice._

_"Spinnard did," Peter mumbled, getting a quick glare from Lily. "Just saying."_

_"There's three Ravenclaws and three Hufflepuffs and I'm sure they would take my side in a fight. But I don't think they'll attack me." Ophelia added, remembering Nott's blushing face. She was not going to forget that moment anytime soon, instead she'll use it later for selfish purposes._

_"Oh, by the way, I heard professor Knowingall teaches all of you at the same time. Isn't that exhausting? He's using a lot of energy to enter everyone's mind." Remus asked Ophelia, leaning towards her. "What if he makes a mistake and-" the boy stopped, thinking of the worst case possible._

_"Blimey, Remus, take a break from being paranoid. She'll be fine." Sirius grumbled, eating without listening to the rest. He was almost sure Ophelia was fine as long as there was a professor in the room._

_"Cissney, there is this boy in Occlumency with blond hair and blue eyes. He's a Ravenclaw and he seems to be a bundle of self confidence and joy."_

_"Say no more. It's Goldstein. He's in the student council as well and he's really good at chess."_

_Everyone gave Cissney a incredulous and confusing look._

_"How do you even know that?" Potter asked, baffled by Cissney's skills._

_"Why does it matter? I just know."The brunette pureblood defended herself before stuffing her face._

_After lunch they had to move into the DADA classroom and unfortunately, Slytherins finished at the same time and they met on the way. It was an odd sight, especially with the two houses glaring at each other for half of the way. The other half was spent whispering to each other so that the other house won't hear. That wasn't working well._

_"Don't go closer, Snape! You'll get gooey mud-blood on your pride," started Nott, laughing with Avery and the girl Ophelia knew now as Katie Rosier._

_"Don't bother with them," started Ophelia, her eyes staring into Nott's yet not looking at him with any type of rudeness. The boy glared at her but she wasn't scared at all, she was amused. In the end, she smirked at the boy and he blushed, moving away._

_Severus stayed behind, speechless, before he grabbed her wrist and pulled her back too._

_"Did you just enter his mind?" Severus asked, blinking owlishly. "You should teach me how to do it too."_

_"Greedy, aren't you, Severus? But you did teach me how to create a patronus form so I guess we can practice together."_

_Her eyes were sparkling at the arrangement and she was really happy, Severus could see it. He was flattered that she wanted to repair their friendship so much but also guilty because he told her a lot of hurtful things before and Ophelia was not the type to forget easily._

_Once they entered the classroom, they found Cerberus trying to keep something from coming out of a very familiar piece of furniture._

_"That's the shoe cupboard from my house." Ophelia told the person sitting next to her, which to her relief was Severus._

_"Ah, you're here! Come closer, don't be afraid!" Cerberus encouraged his students but the cupboard shook and the girls took a step back. "This year you'll learn about dangerous creatures and I'll make sure you'll experience them not just read about them in books. Starting with this guy here,"_

_"What's in there, professor?" Cissney asked before swallowing nervously._

_"The Boogyman, as many muggles call him. It's actually a Boggart, a creature that loves dark and intimate spaces like this cupboard. It can take any shape but most of them become the object of your fear." Cerberus smiled expectantly at the kids but no one seemed to understand what he wanted._

_"How can we protect ourselves against a Boggart?" Ophelia asked eventually._

_"Glad you asked, Molley! Well, there is a spell you use, Ridiculous, but it won't work until you think of something funny. Let's try it, shall we?" Cerberus asked with excitement._

_"This is stupid," Mulciber whispered to his housemates._

_"Do you want to give it a try, Lucas?" Cerberus asked, his eyes glinting mischeviously._

_Every Gryffindor in the room turned to the Slytherin with wide eyes. No one has heard Mulciber's first name before and now they knew why. For a Slytherin such as himself, a name so common was not up to the expectations._

_"Yeah, **Lucas** , why don't you try? Everyone is curious what you fear the most," Sirius couldn't help and had to add fuel to the fire. _

_"Why don't **you** try, Black?" Avery pitched in, helping his friend. _

_"Maybe I will. But after Lucas!"_

_Slytherins were growing angry and control was slipping out of Cerberus' hands. Seeing how there had to be order for him to continue his lesson without cursing or hexing anyone, he turned to the more mature kids in the room._

_"Longbottom, come closer. You'll be first. The rest better decide on your turn or else you'll get your punishment with my friend here." The professor threatened, patting the cupboard._

_Frank walked forward confidently and drew his wand out. Cerberus smiled and moved behind the cupboard._

_"The Boggart will take the form of your worst fear so be prepared. Think of something funny and then the spell. Are you ready?" The professor asked to which Frank nodded, "Very well,"_

_Once Cerberus opened the cupboard, a form like a shadow jumped out of it before it landed straight in front of Frank but this time, it had a clearer form. It was a figure, the figure of an older woman that looked very much like Frank._

_"Is that his mum?" Potter asked, an expression of confusion on his face._

_"Funny thoughts and Ridiculous, Longbottom," Cerberus said calmly from his spot. Frank nodded and closed his eyes before he screamed, Ridikulous! and his mother's attire changed into a straitjacket and her face was covered by a clown mask._

_"What in Merlin's beard did he watch this summer?" Potter added, still not grasping what Frank was thinking of._

_"Great work, Frank! Who's next? Sirius, would you like to try?"_

_The boy nodded and walked in front of the Boggart with a brave face. That changed once the creature turned into a perfect image of himself, yet something was different. James took a step forward but Remus stopped him, shaking his head._

_"Look at that...afraid of himself. Ha!" Mulciber commented loudly, "If only he'd embrace that darker side of his, he wouldn't be such a disappointment to purebloods anymore." He continued, folding his arms in front of his chest cockily._

_Sirius stared at his image, everything looking the same as the original yet the way the Boggart was looking back at him was the same as his mother's. Then, while thoughts were swirling in his mind, a new fear creeped up his back and the Boggart sensed it right away. The copy of Sirius turned into his younger brother, who started to laugh like a maniac. Cerberus frowned and moved slowly towards Sirius._

_"Don't get caught into this illusion, Sirius. It's only a Boggart," Cerberus whispered but it didn't seem like Sirius could hear him. Instead, the image of Regulus suddenly stopped laughing and glared at his brother._

_"Wait a minute, I've seen him before. Is that his brother?" Ophelia asked, taking a step towards Severus._

_"Regulus Black. He's a first year and he's a Slytherin." Katie Rosier explained from behind Snape. "I wonder just how badly it would affect him if he knew little Regulus is being bullied by his dorm mates." She added, chuckling._

_Ophelia glanced at Sirius and sighed. So that boy was running from his own house mates._

_In the end, Cerberus had to move in front of Sirius for the Boggart to change into a serpent. Ridiculous! he said and the serpent changed into a snake balloon._

_"Great job, Black."Mulciber commented sarcastically and started applauding._

_"Next? We have more than an hour left so each of you can get a chance at this boy here," The owl man said, keeping the Boggart into a balloon form._

_Everyone tried, at one point or another, and it was funny to see the fears of Slytherins, which were mostly their parents. On the other hand, when Remus' turn came up, he fidgeted before the creature morphed into a full moon._

_"Is that a globe?" Cissney asked because that's what it looked like. But after saying the spell, the moon dropped into a ball and Remus returned to his house mates._

_"That wasn't a globe, was it?" Ophelia asked the boy, subtly as not to grab anyone's attention. Remus didn't respond but that could also mean something._

_"Well, why don't you try, Lucas? We can't wait to see how scared you are of your mommy and daddy," Potter taunted the Slytherin, which had an immediate response._

_Mulciber walked in front of the Boggart and took a deep breath in before letting it out slowly. He closed his eyes and opened them to meet a form he had recently seen and frightened him._

_"That's...what the-" Sirius couldn't believe what he was seeing. He couldn't help but laugh. Mulciber glared at Black but once he lost his concentration, the Boggart moved really close to him._

_Cerberus tilted his head to the side, confused yet also intrigued._

_"That's Bellatrix Black. I know she's a bit crazy but-"_

_Mulciber scoffed, "If only you'd see her, you'd know she doesn't have any boundaries!"_

_"True," answered Sirius who shrugged at the memories._

_"Is that what Slytherins are scared of these days?" Ophelia asked Severus who shrugged. Mulciber was one of the weirdest wizards he had met and not in a good way._

_"Ridikulous!" The Slytherin screamed out and Bellatrix fell on her back after tripping on her own legs._

_"So you're afraid of my cousin? How interesting. I thought she's been teaching you all the secrets of the dark arts," Sirius commented, narrowing his eyes at the Slytherin._

_"I'm not afraid of her. That Boggart is stupid,"_

_"Boggarts aren't smart nor stupid. They are non-beings and just like Dementors, they live off of human emotions. You can't lie to a Boggart, Mr. Mulciber." Cerberus explained, taking the Gryffindors' side. "If you'd be the smart one, you wouldn't know who Bellatrix is or have any type of interaction with her." The owl man couldn't help himself and give his own input._

_If looks could kill, Mulciber would be in Azkaban by now._

"It was amusing but as a professor, Knowingall shouldn't interfere in between students' vendettas." Lily said, almost sounding like she didn't enjoy that comment. "But it was different seeing Mulciber speechless. The rest of the year will be eventful, at least in DADA." Added the redhead, smiling at her house mates.

Ophelia glanced at Mulciber once again and saw him whispering something to Avery. Going down the table, she saw Nott and Severus, talking about something or another, Katie Rosier adding to the conversation. Going over the table, Ophelia noticed that Rodolphus and Lucius weren't there and Rabastan was not with his Ravenclaw girlfriend anymore. The brunette witch sighed happily, the year starting with a lot of potential.

* * *

It was a month later, during the Gryffindor Quidditch tryouts that Lucius approached Ophelia in the halls. Her studies were going well and for the first time in her academic life, she was exceeding in Transfiguration, DADA and Occlumency. Even McGonagall was surprised how well Ophelia was doing and how in control she was of her magic. Of course, that last subject was arguable. Thus, when Lucius called her aside, she was hopeful that she could finally learn even more in a way that wasn't torturous.

"Every Friday and Saturday night, in the dungeons. We'll be working either in a class room or the Room of Requirement. You'll see what I mean." The blond started in a hurry.

"Today is Saturday." Ophelia stated the obvious, annoying the Prefect.

"I'm aware. Come in the dungeons after curfew and do it silently."

Which she did. Ophelia sneaked out of the common room and dimly enlightened her way down the stairs. It was very important not to draw attention of anything and anyone and she did so graciously until she stepped in the dungeon. It was really cold and there was a particular smell that reminded her of Gloria's perfume. She walked for a few minutes until someone finally showed up. 

"Nott?" 

"What are you doing down here, Molley?" The boy hissed. 

"I'm here for the same reason you are here. I want to learn dark arts." She answered as if that was obvious.

"You're a half blood Gryffindor witch. Why do you need to learn dark arts for? You want to show something new to your friends? Because what we do here is not fun, Molley. It's responsability." 

Ophelia listened to the boy, watching how he got riled up for this so called responsability that he had.

"I heard rumors that there is a Dark Lord involved. I'd like to meet him too." 

Nott's eyes widened at the words she was throwing at him. 

"You!? Only the best and most loyal wizards can get to meet him! You're not even a pure blood!" Nott exclaimed, his face growing red.

"What's all this fuss here?" Lucius trotted towards the two students, an older woman walking next to him, her gaze falling over the Gryffindor right away.

"Who are you?" The older girl asked, her appearance very familiar.

Lucius sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose, his nerves playing tricks on him thanks to a third year.

"Ophelia Molley. She's allowed to come." The blond answered in her place. 

"Who are you? You look like you should have graduated already." Ophelia asked, getting a scowl in return.

"Fine. I needed a pet anyway," The girl commented before she gave a very sinister smile, "I'll have to find you a name, poxy." 

"Bella-" 

Lucius tried to interfere but the elder stepped closer to Ophelia and grabbed her by the back of her head. This Bella pulled on her black hair so that the kid could look closer at her wicked face. 

"Bellatrix, let's not make foolish mistakes." Lucius muttered again.

So she was the woman that scared Mulciber; Bellatrix Black. By looks, she was definitely Sirius' family but taking a look into her eyes and the evil was far more accentuated than Ophelia had seen in Rodolphus. It was chilling and with the actual person standing so close, Ophelia had to give Mulciber some credit.

"Having this poxy believe that she can be a part of the Death Eaters is a foolish mistake. Why not show her just what she will face every time she comes down here?" The vile woman snickered, tightening her grip.

Nott was watching calmly, his expression the less agressive but still supporting version of Bellatrix. 

"Let's enter the Room of Requierment and see just how much time you can spend on your feet." Bellatrix said and turned towards the wall that was supposed to open up the door.

Ophelia was still in a very unfortunate position but witnessing a door appearing from literally nothing took her mind off what could possibly happen next. As soon as Bellatrix opened the door and threw the Gryffindor in, Lucius Malfoy knew there was going to be punishment involved.


	52. Troubles and Stuff

Once inside the Room of Requirement, with her head stinging from Bellatrix' tight grasp and annoyance building up as well as a gram of fear, Ophelia looked up at the people already present in the room. It was rather empty compared to what she believed; there were the third years, dressed in all black then there were a few older students and a few younger students. Severus was there too, thankfully but he didn't move an inch towards her.

"What are you doing here Molley? Are you our practice dummy?" Avery asked, snickering with the others at his own joke.

"That wasn't funny," she mumbled, straightening her back since Bellatrix pushed her so hard she fell on her knees. "I thought you said they won't kill me." The girl said, turning towards the blond.

Lucius raised an eyebrow as he closed the door behind him. Nott went to his friends, scowling at the girl when he passed her and Bellatrix reached out to grab Ophelia but Rabastan interfered.

"She is not to be harmed. I'll protect her if I have to." The younger Lestrange replied coldly, his vicious glare not affecting Bellatrix in the least. 

"What would Rodolphus say if he'd see you acting so childishly," she chuckled, tightening her grip instead of loosening it. But Rabastan didn't move and stood there, patiently waiting for the older girl to listen to him. In the end, Bellatrix sighed and threw Ophelia to the side, like she was an actual practice dummy. 

"Now that we settled the problem, Rodolphus has matters to dispose of so Bellatrix Black came in his place. I'll stay around just so no one will torture Molley too much. You can go on," Lucius announced before he turned to Bellatrix. The intimidating woman smirked wickedly and turned to the young students. 

"Listen to me and listen carefully, the Dark Lord's power is limitless and so will be yours once you will prove your loyalty to him. He has given me a message: each and every one of you are welcome by his side. He'll be watching and those deserving of this title will become Death Eaters, fighting alongside the Lord himself." Bellatrix answered, her eyes glinting. "Rodolphus wants you to start with jinxes, hexes and curses on enchanted armors but I have a better idea. You'll work in pairs and see what happens to those who don't improve rapidly." 

Ophelia swallowed nervously, memories from august surfacing. If that was bad then having to inflict pain on school mates was definitely worse. Watching the others, it was quite obvious she was the main target but only one could pair up with her. She was ready to step back when a hand pulled her aside.

"You're really stupid, you know that?" Severus hissed yet not letting her hand go. "Let's just move aside and turn your back on them. You don't want to see how they look at you." The boy added.

"I don't need to. I can see inside their minds," she mumbled yet not glancing back, the image already contouring in her head. "But Sev, what should I do?" Ophelia asked once they found a good spot in the back.

"What do you mean?" The boy asked, eyes narrowing in confusion.

"What if I kill someone?" 

Severus' face was really easy to read and he was far from believing that could ever happen. 

"I doubt that," 

* * *

Besides the usual attack and defense dance between Ophelia and Severus, it seemed that as weeks passed, Slytherins found it funny to hex her 'by coincidence' both outside and during the dark arts lessons. It was more annoying than anything else as Mulciber and Avery seemed to be in a constant contest on who could make Ophelia reach the hospital faster. During Potions was the easiest because she was barely managing to complete her task before one thing or another would be added in her cauldron, again 'by coincidence'. 

"You should do something about those dickheads. They might seriously injure you one of these days." Potter started, during dinner on a Friday.

"It's fine," Ophelia muttered, when her dessert during dinner literally exploded all over her face. She sighed heavily and closed her eyes, trying her best to calm herself. 

"It's worrying. It's been a month and the Hogsmeade trip is this weekend. No professor will be there to help you if Mulciber looks for revenge for what happened at Halloween." Lily added, just as worried as the rest of the Gryffindors. 

"No one knows what happened back then. Slytherins tried to mess with us and then bam! Mulciber was out." Frank recollected, his eyes widening in amusement.

"For what's worth, he deserved it." Sirius said getting a glare from each girl standing across him, "He bullied Remus and Ophelia and we all know they hexed the pumpkins and transfigured our shoes into snakes. Poor Bragnam was ready to pass out and the first years were terrified. Who had the interest to do something like that, hm? Slytherins." 

"I'm with you mate. He should have seen it coming."Potter said before he turned towards Lily, "I'd be careful if I were you, Evans. Snivelly may not be just like them but that can easily change. I heard rumors that Slytherins are learning dark arts during the weekend." Potter advised Lily which was not necessary or wanted.

"I heard that too," Cissney started, "I heard they do it in the dungeons and Snape is among them, Lily." 

The redhead glanced at her friend with worry before she looked down at her plate. 

"I'm sure he didn't help them at Halloween. He wouldn't harm anyone." Lily muttered, still not looking up. Ophelia rolled her eyes, still feeling the aftermath of Snape's improved skills on her waist, which she hoped was not swollen. On the other hand, she also had a lot to worry after Halloween.

_It was Tuesday which meant Ophelia had Occlumency with Cerberus. She was quite a good help after the introduction lesson, helping the others by unknowingly entering their minds. Only Slytherins' really. As Cerberus advised her, nothing had to be disrupted, only give them the push so they could have what to combat._

_Right after the lesson finished, Mulciber snickered with the others and stared straight at her. She knew what that meant so she moved slightly, coming in between Goldstein and McMillan. Both blonds and both somewhat big shouldered so she could fit really well in the space between. It was a relief to have such nice classmates, compared to her darker extracurricular activity._

_However, while walking out of the classroom, everyone scattered, remaining with a few Slytherins following her until they stepped down into the Entrance Hall._

_"Will we see you this weekend too, Molley?" Avery asked, the rest chuckling between them._

_"Won't miss it," she mumbled, knowing there was more._

_"I heard rumors that we'll have to duel from now on, a real one where you can get hurt. Guess who will take turns with all of us? You." The boy continued._

_That was also expected, seeing how even during normal dark lessons they'd 'accidentally' direct their curses at her. Sometimes it would be childish, sometimes a bit annoying and lately, Mulciber and Avery were really going at it._

_"Well? Are you ready to duel, poxy?"_

_That was a word Ophelia strongly disliked and not only because Bellatrix made it her nickname but because she finally understood what it meant. Ophelia had to ask Lily and it seems it was an interesting way of saying a complete waste of flesh._

_"I wonder just what is she thinking of? She obviously heard you," Nott mumbled, making Mulciber think of something else._

_"Why not try and see then?" He asked, already grasping his wand, "Legilimence!"_

_But the walls around Ophelia's mind were already strong. She felt something like a tickle and turned towards Mulciber with a glare._

_"Try again when you'll actually know how to do it!" She screamed before she turned around and left._

_Mulciber didn't look mad but he did look forward to dinner. The Halloween feast was the best place for payback._

_Now, that might have not been a great idea considering how everyone was there but it didn't matter. Slytherins always have each other's back even if that does have a very thin limit._

_"Look at her, smiling with all those losers as if nothing can go wrong. I can't wait to see Molley's face- oh wait, she won't be able to!" Mulciber started, loud enough for his friends but not to reach the victim._

_"I don't think it's such a great idea. What if she will repel it on you?" Severus was far more concerned of his friends than Ophelia. She was unpredictable and she could enter Mulciber's mind without him noticing._

_"Whose side are you on, Snape? Do you really believe she has the guts to do that? She won't even see what's coming," Mulciber added, everyone gathering so they could watch._

_First was Nott, who hexed the decorations above the Gryffindor table so that everyone would look up. Next was Avery, who snickered while using his wand to transfigure their shoes into snakes. That brought a real uproar and many students jumped on their seats. Severus didn't want any part so he only watched, not moving a hand for either part. And there was Mulciber, who glared at the back of Ophelia's head. He smirked and pointed his wand at her._

_"Imperio," He whispered._

_The curse almost reached Ophelia when she turned around, her eyes glowing and narrowed as if she knew. Mulciber frowned and completely lost his focus. He only saw her move her lips into what was probably a spell before he felt this breeze engulf his body and move him with incredible force against the wall, forcing him to close his eyes._

_Everyone stared with wide eyes as Lucas Mulciber, third year, dangerous Slytherin with connections, was just thrown against the wall and fell unconscious. But no one knew who did it because no one really raised his wand._

_"Did Mulciber just get stupefied by himself?" Potter asked, still confused._

_"I think he probably tried to stupefy one of us and it bounced back." Remus answered in what was the most logical theory._

_"Bounced back off what?"_

_"Um-"_

_Ophelia was speechless because she didn't expect it. She looked down at her hands in shock before she looked up at Severus. The boy was staring at her with the same amount of shock._

* * *

"You shouldn't come to Hogsmeade. Just wait a bit, for example after Christmas. Mulciber is incredibly pissed with you." Severus told his friend while also staying in the corridor towards the hospital wing. 

"I know. I felt his wrath in the moment I entered the Room and he tried to curse me over and over again." Ophelia mumbled, sitting on the ground while Severus was across her. "Empty your mind so that you can feel the intrusion. Once you understand how that works you can block me or force me out." She explained.

The boy closed his eyes and felt his head aching but couldn't properly shove her out. He tried again but the headache only intensified and suddenly he found himself in an old memory. He gasped when he saw his father's angry face and opened his eyes.

"I hate how good you are at this." Severus grumbled,going and sitting next to her. "Spinnard must have taught you real well." 

"Cerberus did. Spinnard didn't want me to learn legilimency because that way I could enter his mind and search through his memories." She told him so easily as if the said man wasn't dead now.

"And?" 

"Spinnard's always been so cold and distant, dislikable to no end but he was a good professor and a good friend, very loyal and naive. Looking back, he only saw me as a responsability that his best friend laid upon him and then it changed into a burden because of my father. He probably wanted nothing to do with me but forced by circumstances, he had no choice. He protected me until the end and he still protects me through his house." 

"Wait what? You're living in his house?" The boy hissed, though it was not meant to sound so violent.

"He left it to me as inheritance. I guess he knew my parents will be murdered or maybe he wanted me to abandon them and live with him. Everything because of my father...I don't understand why everyone is afraid I will run away with him or something." Ophelia complained, losing any type of inhibition. Severus was her friend, in the end.

"You said he is a pureblood. Maybe they have what to be afraid of. How is your father, anyway?" 

Ophelia needed a moment to think about a proper answer. She never really labeled Tom as good or bad because at the end of the day, he is her father and will always be. Yet, after august she started to think that maybe there was something odd.

"He knows the other pureblooded families. In august, he took me to the Lestrange mansion and told Rodolphus to train me. That's how I got so good at DADA in such a short time...and then there was this second part of training in the woods. Dementors, wizards, armours, it was awful..." She shuddered only remembering how harsh it was.

"Well, your father sounds awful then. Who would let their daughter go through such an intense and dangerous training just to make her stronger?" Severus asked, feeling quite sorry for her.

"Tom Riddle would." 

* * *

It was Saturday morning and the wind was picking up, informing everyone that winter is coming. Students grabbed their jackets and money and Potter's eyes were sparkling just like the time he got in the team and caught the golden snitch. 

"I can't wait to go to Honeydukes! I can feel the sweet sugary taste on my tongue already~" He sung happily.

"You're such a child," Cissney might had not joked but Potter laughed anyway. "He's such a strange kid sometimes."

"I find him endearing." Ophelia defended him while putting on her beanie. "I think without him around, Hogwarts would be boring." She added, smiling at Cissney.

"You are serious...my, when did you and Potter become so friendly?" 

That was indeed the question. She wasn't too sure when or how it happened but after so much sorrow and disappointment and loneliness, James Potter was like a deer hopping from place to place with a positive attitude. 

"I think I know when," Alice started, "The time you saw him flying. I think that's when you saw his potential as a man." 

There was a pause until everyone laughed. Alice looked confused from one to another before she repeated.

"I'm telling you~ we're 13 now so of course we start having this kind of thoughts. You look at a boy and you see if he has potential or not." 

Cissney and Lily were still chuckling when Ophelia turned towards a random boy in the hall. Everyone was preparing to go out so most of the castle was there.

"What about that one?" Ophelia asked pointing at a Hufflepuff.

"Not exactly. But it depends on what you fancy too." Alice added trying to be serious.

"What about Goldstein? I'd say his future is bright," Cissney commented, getting a scoff from Alice. "What about Nott then?" Cissney asked pointing at the dark haired boy.

"Besides being a Slytherin, he is not bad looking. He's also tall and I heard he reads a lot." Lily answered, surprising the girls with her sincerity.

"What about Wood?" Ophelia asked since he was walking over with the rest.

"Eh, he's one step out of Hogwarts. But I hear he has a lot and I mean a lot of admirers." Cissney answered before her eyes fell over every Gryffindor boy in their year. "If you ask me, I think our star will be Black. He's growing up well. Maybe Remus too but then again, we'll have to see." 

"This discussion is very uncomfortable." Ophelia whispered to Lily but the redhead laughed it off. 

They were walking to the village when Ophelia felt her hands hot. She looked down at them and fire was burning in her palms. It wasn't harmful but it was there and she didn't do it; what she believed was gone was returning stronger than before.

* * *

To be frank, Potter was right. Honeydukes was the heaven of everything sweet and tasty and Ophelia's eyes widened at the quantity of sugary treats. She licked her lips and went straight for the chocolate cauldrons. She also bought Fizzing Whizzbees and maybe two or three packs of Every Flavour Beans and many, but many liquorice wands. 

"Blimey, badge, you bought enough for a small gathering in the common room late at night." Potter commented, one liquorice wand hanging from his mouth.

"I need to be prepared in case I suffer a lack of magnesium." She answered, making Potter frown in confusion. "I need energy and that comes from sweets." She repeated in a simpler way. 

"What do you need energy for? You've been improving in dueling quite a lot. And you're doing pretty well in everything, except Potions." 

"I didn't know you have your eyes on me, James." Ophelia joked, partially, but Potter nodded.

"Of course I do! I always look out for my friends. I've seen the looks Mulciber gives you and all the stuff Slytherins do to you. I'm not a fool, badge."

"Yeah. You're not." She agreed with a soft smile. "Well, maybe you should show me a few flying tips some time." She added, his eyes brightening at the idea.

"Of course! But you'll have to wake up really early in the morning." He told her but she seemed fine with that, "Can't wait to see you on the broom, Molley!" 

"Potential, potential, potential," was Cissney's voice singing from behind with a mischievous expression.


	53. The Werewolf in the Shack

"Excuse me, what?" 

It was Christmas, well a week before the holiday, when Malfoy stopped her after Potions and pulled her aside. 

"It's already been decided and although my parents are not too keen on it either, your father wants you to spend Christmas with me and my family. I can only guess he wants you to be safe." Lucius whispered, taking short glances above her head at the students.

"Why wouldn't I be? That house protects me." She underlined.

"I don't know. I just know my father invited you over for the holiday after a meeting with your father." He avoided saying more just in case she won't come. "You don't have a choice."

"I figured," she commented before she left.

Lucius sighed and turned towards the common room when he noticed Mulciber staring at him. The blond rolled his eyes and ignored the young boy, already aware of the rumors going around the house. He knew, from the beginning, that Ophelia's interest for the dark arts will backfire. Mulciber was just one, the Slytherin house was bigger than Mulciber and none were content with her presence there.

* * *

Later on, in the common room, Ophelia sat on the armchair next to an even sour looking Charlie Wood. She wouldn't have started a conversation if it wasn't for how much she wanted to avoid talking about herself to others.

"Why are you so grumpy?"

"McGonagall pulled me aside today and told me that I should reconsider my future. Besides, I may have to give out my position as captain of the Quidditch team."

"I thought you wanted to become a professional player," Ophelia replied, looking down at her hands.

"Actually, I wanted to work at the ministry, in the department of sport events. She told me I should aim higher," he said, disappointed. "You should consider this problem too, Molley. The years will pass really fast and you'll wake up one morning with McGonagall asking you what you want to do with your life." 

"I'm only a third year."

"Exactly. You should experience everything while you still can."

Ophelia nodded, smiling back when Charlie ruffled her hair as if he was so much older than her. They were both still very young, at the beginning of their lives really, and they should both enjoy it. All that theory came around when everyone went to bed and Ophelia stayed behind. It was past midnight when she sneaked out of the common room and went on a stroll through the castle. There were many things she had to consider and many questions that revolved around her father. She thought she will see her all through August after he took her with him but she only saw him once. 

And there was the guilt again. Every time she'd remember her training, Dylis' face would pop up, his big blue eyes looking at her with hope. It was so unfortunate how discrimination was even in the magic world. Slytherins bullying younger or defenseless students, the ever growing discrimination suffered by house elves and the horror they go through whenever they make the smallest mistake, the desire to earn as much power as possible...the wizarding world was not so different after all. It was all about the people and their individual needs.

Walking aimlessly around, she ended up stepping out of the castle and breathing in the air of winter. She closed her eyes and smiled, for a moment forgetting everything and letting herself into the wind. That worked for a few minutes until she heard a set of steps. It was so silent that that particular sound was hard to miss. Being naturally curious, Ophelia followed the noise to a medium sized willow, planted in the middle of the school grounds. She had seen it before, was aware it existed but never once did she see it move. 

"Wow," she gasped at the scene, her eyes widening so much that it looked they were going to pop out. 

Gazing at the willow, she noticed a person running towards its trunk before it vanished. That single fact was so mesmerizing that she had to go and try it too. She was getting very good at sneaking -having to hide the fact that she was taking a probably illegal extracurricular activity with suspicious students- thus she easily reached the willow without having it react violently. Bending over, Ophelia realized there was a hollow in the trunk and out of the darkness she heard a growl. Her heart beats increased and her hands were sweaty but curiosity was above safety for her.

Walking down the tunnel, the growl became more accentuated. She was walking into a possibly dangerous place but she couldn't stop, literally she couldn't stop her legs. Growl changed into really loud noise, crashing and slamming and heavy breaths yet she didn't stop. She walked a set of stairs before she opened the door and entered warily. The noise was so much louder and if she were to be sincere, it felt like Hansel and Gretel, only she wasn't lost and it wasn't a candy house. 

Learning from muggle stories that announcing your presence is not a good factor, she swallowed nervously and continued to explore without making any noise. She wasn't sure where exactly she was but it felt like no one has been there in a while and the last times were very difficult; the furniture was scratched or thrown around bust most of it was covered by dust and the passing of time. Looking up at a mirror, she noticed something moving up the staircase and hurried after it. Ascending, her heart beats quickened even more than before in anticipation. The corridor was empty but one room was opened. Her footsteps were not loud enough to draw attention but it seemed like her breathing was; in front of that room, Ophelia stopped and gasped at the view. 

"A-A we-werewolf," she whispered, scared but amazed. In front of her eyes, a real werewolf was glaring at something under the bed. He most definitely heard her because he turned towards her and growled. "Oh my," she was speechless.

One moment was all it needed for the werewolf to attack her and she still didn't run back to the tunnel. Finding a piece of a leftover furniture, she tried to fight the beast that was drooling and huffing madly.

"I guess a conversation is out of question," she mumbled, hoping he won't bite her or worse, kill her. 

The werewolf ran after her in a way that cornered her in the room thus she had to make an opening so she could get out. That was easier said than done, even if the werewolf wasn't very big. Seeing how he was standing with his legs apart, she figured that was the only way she could slip through. It didn't work well because the werewolf caught her hair and threw her out the hall, against the opposite wall. Ophelia's eyes widened, feeling her back hurt like never before. She got up, holding onto the wall in case her legs will give out and looked at the creature. The werewolf was scoffing at her and her naivety that she could outrun him. She sprinted down the stairs but around half down, she heard a cracking sound and fell the rest of the way down. Ophelia didn't have time to whine when the werewolf jumped at her, hovering over her, ready to tear her apart. Being so close, she could smell his breath and could see his brown eyes. She was scared but she wasn't, it was so strange how those brown eyes, no matter how much they were glaring at her with such a fury, seemed comfortable. In that moment, she felt her eyes sting, as if she was crying yet she was sure she wasn't and then it happened again; green light blew out of her hands and threw the werewolf on the stairs, quite harshly from what she heard. 

Returning to the castle with a werewolf left unconscious behind was not what she had planned when she sneaked out but it didn't kill her either. Unfortunately, as soon as she stepped inside the entrance hall, dragging herself towards the stairs, she passed a man. Ophelia stopped and licked her lips, thinking in advance how to explain her injury and the rule breaking. 

Instead of talking, Dumbledore helped Ophelia towards the hospital wing. He was letting her hold onto his arm, which felt just as warm and safe as back when he held her hand after her mother died. Madame Pomfrey was awake when they arrived and immediately took Ophelia to a bed, helping her with her sprained ankle. 

"You'll have to spend the night here, dear. I'll give you something to make you as new but it will hurt a bit," she announced before she smiled at the student and went to retrieve the medicine.

Ophelia turned to Dumbledore but quickly averted her eyes on her fidgeting hands. 

"How did you know?" she asked, still not looking up at the headmaster.

"I didn't. I was on a stroll, clearing my mind and we happened to meet," Dumbledore made it sound like it was all a coincidence but his eyes were glinting suspiciously. "What did you see, Ophelia?"

"A werewolf," she answered right away.

"Is that all you have seen? A beast may not be one if you take a closer look, am I right?" Ophelia looked up at the headmaster, registering his words as a way to admit it was definitely not a coincidence how they met. "Our usual patient shall arrive later, Miss Pomfrey!" Dumbledore announced the nurse before he offered a smile and walked out. 

The night progressed slowly with Ophelia having an unexpected dream.

_It was back when she was in Aviemore with the orphanage. She was in the forest, in the moment she felt more afraid than when her mother died. Being older and with quite a few experiences at hand, she could notice details she hasn't before, like how it's gotten so cold that she could see and hear the flora freezing. Ophelia took a step back and turned, grass breaking under her feet as the familiar cloaked figure rose above ground and hovered over the girl._

_It was strange how everything stopped right before the Dementor could extract the happiness out of her and she could really see the creature with a hole instead of a mouth. It was far less intimidating after the training with Rabastan but the image was still very odd. The witch moved and walked past the Dementor, searching for something, anything._

_"You have grown a lot since I had last seen you, Ophelia,"_

_The voice was not one she recognized right away. She had never met him, because it was definitely a man's voice, but she did hear his tone before._

_"Who are you? Where are you?" Ophelia asked, turning around, yet not seeing any curious man hiding in the bushes._

_"Down here,"_

_Ophelia looked down and saw a black kitten, standing with its blue eyes staring straight at her. The kitten tilted his head to the side and so did Ophelia, confused._

_"Haven't I seen you before? Or do all black kittens look the same?" she asked, bending in front of the black fur. He was adorable, the witch gave him that, but he also smelled funny. "Is this a dream?"_

_"This is a memory; your memory to be exact." The kitten spoke, his lips literally moving like in those muggle cartoons. "I brought you here so you could understand what happened back then."_

_"A Dementor attacked me, what's there left?"_

_"Dementors don't attack people on their own. Muggles can't even see them. So then, why was a Dementor in a muggle forest, lurking around two children?" The kitten continued, asking usual questions yet Ophelia wasn't particularly interested in that topic._

_"Where do you want to go with this theory?"_

_"Follow me," the kitten urged the girl, running the opposite direction from her original spot in the memory. He ran for a minute or so when he stopped and glared at nothing in particular. "He's here. He was here before and still is but so am I."_

_"Who?"_

_The kitten hissed but bright green light erupted from under the ground and the memory shook, creating the impression that the ground will break apart. It didn't, not at first. Looking down, the kitten was gone and the same cold pressure hovered over Ophelia from behind. She spun around, right hand out in order to defend herself but she didn't have to. A cold hand wrapped around her face, pulling her back into a firm chest and she felt her eyes bleed out._

Ophelia's eyes widened and she jolted out of bed, breathing heavily and trembling from every bone. She didn't have time to fully grasp what happened because the doors opened and a ragged brown haired boy stumbled inside. He looked up when Madame Pomfrey rushed to his aid, helping him to the nearest bed. Ophelia couldn't see well since it was dark but it was obvious it happened before; Madame Pomfrey seemed used to the sight and quickly started to work on his wounds. 

Ophelia laid back on the bed and calmed herself before staring at the ceiling, the dream repeating in her mind. That kitten questioned something that she never really cared about so why would it be important now?

With those thoughts, she fell asleep once again but woke up an hour later. Curiosity was killing her so she tip toed to the other patient, who was sleeping soundly a few feet from her, and peeked at his face. Her eyes widened when she saw Remus but she wasn't surprised. Taking a closer look at his body and all the wounds and scratches, the poor boy was half bandaged and the other half didn't look well either. 

"He's suffered a lot, poor boy." Madame Pomfrey appeared out of nowhere, scaring Ophelia, "If only that monster wouldn't have bit him, he could have a normal life. Thankfully, we have Dumbledore and he gave this young man a chance," she added, checking on Remus' condition.

She had seen it before, in his mind when she unconsciously entered and noticed discrepancies but now that she had the proof, it was so much emotional for some reason. 

"Professor Dumbledore seems to give many chances." Ophelia muttered, moving aside.

"He only reaches out to those whom he knows will grab his hand." Madame Pomfrey said and smiled at the girl before she walked into her office.

All alone with Remus, Ophelia didn't know how to react or what to feel. The boy sleeping in front of her was a werewolf, he attacked her and the pain in her ankle was because of him but at the same time, those brown eyes she looked into while in that form were the same she looked into when they first met. 

Next morning, Ophelia left before Remus, deciding she should keep the secret to herself and not have others question her or how she got the scratches on her arms and back. Besides, Malfoy was leaving that night and she had to go with him and there was also the issue of the Hogwarts Express ride.

"We're not taking the train." He answered when she asked during lunch. "We'll use the fireplace in Slughorn's office. You better be ready by the time I leave."

"Or what, you'll leave without me?" she asked, her eyes sparkling at the thought.

"No. Otherwise, you'll be escorted by Bellatrix." Lucius answered, seeing the immediate difference in Ophelia's expression. 

"I'll be there by dinner time," the young witch muttered as she turned and dragged herself to the Great Hall.


	54. The Adventures of Ophelia and Lucius

Entering Slughorn's office was easier than dragging a luggage down into the dungeons without drawing much attention. Thankfully, a lot of students left right after lunch and the path was clearer but most Gryffindors didn't, which made sneaking out of the common room a lot harder.

Lucius was standing in front of the chimney, tapping his foot anxiously, reminding himself that all his efforts will be rewarded one day. When the door opened and in walked Ophelia, he realized the girl was not using magic for herself at all. He waved his wand and all her luggage flew towards him, letting her take a break.

"I should have done that from the beginning," she mumbled, taking a moment to regain her breath.

Lucius rolled his eyes and grabbed a little sack from inside his robes' pocket. Ophelia walked next to him and they both stared at the empty space. Ophelia took a long breath in and exhaled even slowly, nervousness eating her from the inside. Maybe staying with the Malfoys, she will see her father for longer than an hour under casual circumstances, not training like a war was coming. On the other side, Lucius was wondering if the usual Christmas dinner with the Blacks will take place this year too, because that might turn out to be very troublesome. If more people would find out about Ophelia's father, just how would that influence the rest of the purebloods? That question was nerve wracking.

"Are we going or-" the witch asked, tilting her head so she could look straight into Lucius' eyes.

The blond nodded and took a handful of powder before stepping with his luggage inside the chimney.

"Speak loud and clear, just like I do, or else who knows where you will end up." Lucius stated firmly before he gave her the sack, "Malfoy Manor." 

Just like before with Cerberus, once throwing the powder, green fire erupted and the person disappeared. Next was Ophelia, who hardly pushed everything inside the chimney before she followed Lucius' example.

The place she arrived at was definitely bigger than Spinnard's cottage, maybe as big as the Scotland Yard building. The hall she stepped into was large but not well decorated; there was an enormous chandelier with what she believed were crystals hanging above the room, straight in the center; two armchairs were placed on each side of the chimney and a few feet in front was a long table where more than one family could eat. But the rest, it was empty space and empty walls showing no real affinity for details or any emotion.

"Follow me," said Lucius, who was leaning against one of the armchairs. 

Looking down, Ophelia realized that suddenly she felt very empty: house elves were taking her trunk and one of them seemed to have a few issues with Willy's cage. Seeing how there was no way she could tell them she could manage by herself, she followed Lucius silently.

The mansion was a real piece of history as they moved through it. The corridors were dim lit, doors were on each and every side and so were house elves, cleaning every corner of the house. Lucius led Ophelia to the second floor where he walked a bit more until he stopped in front of a door and opened it. 

"This is your room." he said.

Ophelia took a peek inside and saw the same house elves from before having an intense stare-down with Willy. Except that, the bedroom looked freshly cleaned, the bed was big enough for three people and the dresser was taller than Dumbledore. Just like the rest of the house, it was missing substance but then again, this room was probably for guests. 

"Father is busy tonight so we'll have dinner separately. It will be brought to your room so unpack and-" he had no idea what else to say. He had no idea what she liked to do or how she liked to spend her free time, which may cause him trouble with her father later on. 

Lucius left afterwards and Ophelia entered the bedroom with a blank mind. Luckily, she had muggle books that she brought along, though she might have to hide them from the rest.

* * *

Nothing exciting really happened for the next week. Ophelia met Lucius' parents and they were examples of the people she hated the most. Fortunately, Mr. Malfoy was incredibly busy at the ministry and he couldn't bother himself with Ophelia. Mrs. Malfoy, on the other hand, was the kind of woman that Ophelia wanted to avoid. It was one morning before breakfast when she heard the woman scream at a fragile little creature.

"I told you many times, Mildred, don't boil the water too much! And look at this mess!" 

Sincerely, Ophelia couldn't see any mess as for the tea, it wasn't the elf's fault if Mrs. Malfoy didn't know how to drink her tea. 

"Mildred is sorry, madame. Midred will go make tea again." The house elf mumbled in a high pitched voice. 

"You better! And don't forget we'll have our special guest come on Sunday. Everything has to be perfect." Mrs. Malfoy added before finally letting Mildred leave.

"A special guest?" Ophelia mumbled, hiding behind the wall. Seeing the house elf pass her, cutely hurrying to make tea again, Ophelia wondered just how many elves did the Malfoys have.

"Many." Lucius replied when she asked that same question, later in the afternoon, "The house elves have been working for the family for generations. Even I don't know the exact number."

"And how exactly did your family enslave them?" Ophelia pestered, following the blond through the library.

"I don't know. Like I said, it's been like this for generations." The blonde answered, feeling annoyed with the young witch, "They enjoy being slaves, Molley. That's their sole purpose in life: serving their masters." He emphasized seeing how bitter she was about that subject.

"How can you free them?" she continued, disregarding everything he said.

"You don't." The boy said and stopped, turning fully to her, "Don't even think of freeing any of my family's elves. They are not your business."

"But what if the elf is in great danger, on the brink of losing his life?" 

Lucius sighed and gave up. She was incredibly stubborn and there was no way she'd let him read in peace, or live in peace for that matter.

"To free a house elf, the master has to provide clothes for the elf in question. We both know that won't happen so forget about it."

She could do that or she could come up with a plan to save Dylis. The latter solution was definitely better in her opinion. Now, for that to happen, Ophelia needed to get inside the Lestrange mansion and make her way into the dungeon where the house elf was being tortured. She knew her way around but she was underage and every spell done will trace back to her. Of course, there was another way. She smiled and turned to Lucius with big green eyes, looking a lot like a fox begging for food.

"No. That would be foolish from both of us. I told you, no."

But the power of those green eyes was far bigger than Lucius imagined. He could slightly understand Snape and why he was so keen on helping her when she asked. It was impossible to resist such a persistent little girl. 

* * *

And so, not a week, not a few days but right the next day which was Friday, Ophelia dressed in comfortable black clothes and met Lucius in the entrance hall. He was dressed like usual which in return made her look odd.

"What are you wearing?" he asked with a scowl.

"Clothes. Why are you looking like a librarian? Where are your casual clothes?" she asked in return, seeing how he wore a green sweater  with a checkered pattern over a white shirt and black pants. He was drawing attention, especially with his blond hair tied up.

"These are my casual clothes and I don't look like a librarian. Not even close." he retorted before he changed the subject, "I can't believe I'm following you into this childish scheme. Besides, you'll need Mr. Lestrange to offer something in order to free the elf."

"Food." Ophelia explained, "They give him food, which theoretically comes from the master so that the elf won't die too soon. I need to steal something from Mr. Lestrange's room and put it into the food, or at least on the trail." 

Her eyes were sparkling and Lucius knew, in that moment, that he'll be very sorry tomorrow. 

* * *

Getting into the Lestrange mansion was fairly easy, they used Floo Powder and stepped out of the chimney from the first floor, which was coincidentally near Rabastan's room. 

"How are you going to find Mr. Lestrange's bedroom? And what makes you believe the rest of the house elves won't call him out?" Lucius whispered, the mansion being incredibly silent for that time of the day. 

"I've been here before so I know my way around. I've spent the entire month before school in this torturing hell. Except Rabastan, everyone's bedrooms are upstairs. There's a statue in the form of a very ugly man and the door across leads to Lestrange's bedroom. Take anything, even a sock or anything and bring it into the kitchen." She said, looking at him with a serious expression.

"What about you? What will you do?"

"I will make sure he gets his dinner tonight with an extra-something," she answered, smiling mischievously. 

As soon as the plan begun, Ophelia sneaked downstairs, through a back door hidden in between two walls. She had seen house elves go through it a few times before but she never expected the kitchen to be so wide. Fortunately, no one was there and it was difficult to foresee just what the elves will do for dinner. That until she got another idea. Sneaking out, she wandered around, searching for any type of living human being. There was noise coming from the stairs towards the basement (not the dungeons, because it seemed they had different paths) and hid under what looked to be a high end table. 

"I don't know what you want me to tell you, Rabastan. We've already decided who will go to Glenmore after Christmas. Besides, you need to be at school." That was Mrs. Lestrange for sure, her voice was just as high as Mrs. Malfoy's. 

"Then is Rodolphus going? He's in his last year, isn't he?"

"The Dark Lord trusts him while you haven't done anything to earn his trust."

Rabastan looked furious but he was keeping a peaceful exterior in front of his mother.

"Then what about Ophelia?" that definitely grabbed her attention, "I've been tutoring her and protecting her because he told me so. Is that not enough? Why did he even order Rodolphus to train her when I could have done it?" the boy continued.

Ophelia looked down at her hands, her ring to be exact, and sighed heavily. Her father was pushing certain people towards her and she was foolish enough to believe they were her friends. Rabastan, Lucius, maybe even Severus, they weren't her friends per say, they were helpers at best. Feeling her heart break a little, she moved her head, which in that small place made her hit the table, making more noise than she wanted to. Rabastan's head turned to her direction and ignored his mothers rant. He narrowed his eyes and noticed something moving before he turned to his mother.

"I'll discuss with father, you should go take your medicine." 

"Don't bother him with your selfish requests, son. Try more in order for the Dark Lord to take notice of your efforts."

That was everything before silence filled the first floor. Ophelia was standing like a fetus under the table when she moved in order to see if the path was clear. Unfortunately, she met a pair of shoes and a poker faced Hogwarts student, staring down at her with one eyebrow raised. Ophelia rolled her eyes and got out, annoyed after what she heard.

"What are you doing here?" he asked in his usual calm tone.

"Making your mission easier. I'm just a responsibility- no, a way for the Dark Lord to notice how much of a loyal dog you are." she answered irritated. "Who's this Dark Lord anyway? Why is he so important and what connection does he have to me?"

Rabastan looked to the side, his mind working quickly to find a response.

"If my father finds you here, the Dark Lord will be the last of your worries." 

"It doesn't matter," she mumbled, passing him on her way towards the stairs. She was annoyed and hurt and having those thoughts, she walked and hid as close to the kitchen as possible. 

By the time she met Lucius, he had a sock and she had nothing. It seemed that dinner was coming soon because house elves started to gather in the kitchen and Mr. Lestrange returned home with Rodolphus on his trail. Seeing how they also had to return to the Malfoy Manor in time and Lucius was pissing himself now that so many people were swarming through every corner of the house, Ophelia chose the simplest way to sort everything out. 

They were cramped in a corner of the kitchen when a house elf passed them towards the cupboard. Ophelia decided she might as well use her fingers since she didn't have her wand with her. _Legilimence_ , she whispered and the elf suddenly stopped. Lucius watched silently as the elf started to prepare soup. She turned around and Ophelia nudged Lucius for the piece of clothing. The older boy levitated the sock and let it fall straight into the cauldron of soup before the elf walked back to it. Mrs. Lestrange barged in a few minutes later to order the elves to make her husband's favorite pie because he was in a bad mood. Ophelia glanced around before she whispered again, _Legilimence_. 

"What is that, Alfie?" Mrs. Lestrange asked, walking towards the cauldron of soup.

"Chicken soup, madame. Minnie's cooking it." 

Mrs. Lestrange scoffed but nevertheless tasted the soup. Her eyes widened and face scrunched in disgust.

"It's horrible! Throw it away or give it to that filthy friend of yours," she said and stormed out of the kitchen. Alfie rubbed his hands together nervously and turned to Minnie. They nodded at each other and the female elf poured all that soup in smaller bowls, that sincerely looked very old and rusty. 

"Let's go. I want to witness it." She told Lucius before they also sneaked out of the kitchen. 

Unfortunately, they were two steps from the stairs towards the dungeons when an air of hostility surrounded them. Lucius stopped her and glanced over his shoulder, meeting the heavy gaze of Rodolphus Lestrange. The blond pushed Ophelia behind him so that her face won't be shown. As Rodolphus was approaching, Lucius pushed Ophelia down the stairs, not hard enough to make her fall and crumble but enough to make her hide in the darkness.

"Lucius, what do I owe the pleasure?" asked the stiff boy, looking like he could torture the blond on the spot without an answer needed.

"I am here to have a chat about Christmas." Lucius started, having no idea where he was going with that idea. "Will you still join my family for dinner, I suppose?"

"Of course. Pleasantries have to be kept during these times." Rodolphus answered, subtly glancing at the space behind Lucius. "Is there something else?"

"No. Only, this dinner will be special. We'll have have an honor guest join us." Lucius started, knowing it will draw him in, "Ophelia is spending Christmas with my family."

"Then maybe we'll see the Dark Lord sooner than expected." The dark haired boy said with a pleasant smile. "Would you like to spend dinner here or do you need to return to your babysitter deeds? 

Lucius licked his lips, aware that Ophelia could hear every word. He smiled politely and shook his head, trying to pose into a relaxed young wizard.

"No need. I'll return to my duty and you should return to your father. I'm sure you have important business to talk about. It seems a dozen new muggles have strangely disappeared and Greyback's name has been cleared by your father."

"The army's growing, Lucius. We need to protect what is rightfully ours, don't you believe so?" he asked with a superior tone, as if he was far more involved than any other wizard at Hogwarts. He might have been, for all Lucius knew.

Rodolphus raised an eyebrow, questioning the blond with a heavy gaze. He looked at his classmate from head to toe before going back into the dining room.

Lucius sighed and leaned against the wall for support, his legs feeling like someone tried to curse them. He turned towards Ophelia, whose eyes were sparkling in the darkness of the corridor and felt a knot form in his stomach. She dragged him on the hill and almost pushed him off and broke his neck.

* * *

While the family was feasting, the dungeons were freezing cold. Ophelia and Lucius were waiting in front of the door, having a clear view if someone were to come from upstairs or from inside. 

"Are they going to feed him or not?" she asked, holding her arms in front of her chest and pacing anxiously.

"Who taught you legilimency?" Lucius asked, being bothered for the past hour by that reason alone.

"Professor Knowingall. I'm in Occlumency lessons, in case you didn't know." She answered as if that was obvious.

"No. That level of legilimency is above what we are taught at school. You did it with so much ease, besides the fact that you did it without a wand." 

"Desperate times, desperate measures." She mumbled grumpily.

"How can you control magic so well without a wand? That rarely occurs and even then, it eats the wizard alive and changes him into a monster. Too much power is hard to contain and when it explodes, you cease to exist." Lucius explained from his spot against the cold wall. 

"Dad wouldn't let that happen."

It was surprising how she stated that without the slightest bit of doubt. She must have trusted her father more than anyone if she was so sure of his intentions. But then, if she knew the truth about him, would she still hand her life to him? Lucius didn't have time to ponder on that possibility because Ophelia noticed something and barged inside the dungeons.

It seemed dinner has been delivered to the hurt Dylis while they were waiting. The elf could barely eat but something made him jolt. His eyes widened as he found something both disgusting and wonderful in his soup. Ophelia approached the cell with anticipation and witnessed happiness engulf the little creature.

Dylis looked up at the girl and smiled. To be sincere, he looked so skinny that he could barely stand on his feet and his face was just as bloody as the last time she had seen him. 

"What's wrong, Dylis?" she asked with hope.

"Dy-Dylis found a piece of clothing in his soup," the elf muttered, his voice hoarse, "A present from the master," he added before he took a long look at his surroundings. "Dylis is free~" he said, happiness filling his little heart. 

He was still in a fragile state but could easily break the chains. Such a power was amazing and it was prohibited because he was a slave. It was so frustrating, especially after Ophelia's sight over law and justice. Her muggle parents have taught her well in those two domains so seeing slavery up close took a toll on her opinion about the wizarding community. 

"Are you alright, Dylis?" she asked, "Let's get you out of here,"

"And where exactly will you take him?" asked Lucius, watching with a bitter taste in his mouth.

"He's in an awful state and the safest place is-" she stopped, thinking about her plan. Ophelia tried the door to see if it was locked or not; it wasn't, not that the elf could waltz out of there anyway. She grabbed the elf and smiled at him, a genuinely kind smile. "Home. I'll take him home."

Firstly, Lucius believed she meant his home since she was staying over for the holidays but then he remembered she was living with her new guardian in an enchanted house. 

"How will we get out of here with an injured elf?" 

"Dylis will help. Dylis is thankful." The elf mumbled, taking a tight grasp on Ophelia's arm. 

"Come and grab me already, or maybe you want to have a chat with Mr. Lestrange?" Ophelia taunted the boy, forcing him to come and grab her other arm tightly. 

With one pop sound, they were gone. The place they apparated in was the front lawn of Spinnard's cottage and surprisingly enough, Lucius was not dead or assaulted.

"Help me carry him inside," she mumbled, her eyes mesmerizing Lucius into actually doing a good deed for once in his life. 

When she opened the door, she expected the ghosts of the Spinnard family to woo Lucius out but again, nothing happened. The house seemed quite happy that she returned so soon. She placed Dylis on the couch, being more than enough space for him and turned to Lucius. At the same time, down the stairs walked Cerberus and once he saw the two kids and the bloody elf, he made a turn for the kitchen.

* * *

With Cerberus' help, it seemed like Dylis was recuperating well. He was eating and his face regained its usual dimensions. He was still wounded all over but those huge blue eyes were lively.

"I can't believe you freed a house elf but more than that, I can't believe you, Lucius, helped her." Cerberus was really blunt. 

"We should return already. If my father finds out, the punishment will be severe." Lucius changed the subject completely, annoyed by the professor. "The elf seems fine now, not that anyone would care,"

"I do. Can he stay here until he's better?" Ophelia asked Cerberus but the owl man shrugged.

"It's your house. You decide."

That answer made her feel really good and proud. The witch turned to Dylis and bent so she could look into his eyes, showing her sincerity. The house elf was drinking tea from a clean glass and the blanket over his frail body was colorful and smelled like vanilla. 

"You're welcome to stay here for how long you want, Dylis. This house will always be open for you."

Lucius scoffed in the back and rolled his eyes at the antics of a child. If only her father would know about their adventure, the blond would become food for trolls.


	55. Dark Lord

"And where have you been?" 

The two students barely stepped into the dining hall when Mr. Malfoy glowered at them from his seat. He was eating breakfast with his wife and two people were missing.

"That was fast," Ophelia mumbled, following Lucius to the table. The blond was so stiff that he looked petrified. 

"I'm sorry, father. It was my fault." Lucius apologized. Ophelia glanced at Mr. Malfoy and swiftly checked if he knew where they have been. It didn't seem so.

"I needed to grab something from home. It was real quick." She interfered seeing how Lucius might give them out.

The blond turned to her with a confused and frustrated look but she didn't let him speak.

"I-"

"He came with me since he is babysitting me. I'm sure you can understand, sir." Her tone was definite and firm and Malfoy could not go against it even if he would have liked to. 

"Very well but do not make a habit of it. Lucius, we'll discuss this later." 

"Yes, father." 

Content with herself and the recent events, Ophelia sat down next to the blond and waited for the house elf to enter and place the food for them. It was the same one Mrs. Malfoy screamed at and since she was in such a good mood, the witch smiled at the house elf.

"Thank you, Mildred," 

The house elf stopped and almost spilled the milk over Ophelia's lap but the girl grabbed it in time. Watching her leave, the rest of the table turned towards her with an exasperated sigh.

"I told you,they like to be enslaved." Lucius mumbled from the side.

* * *

The rest of the day continued rather silently for Ophelia. She took a shower, changed her clothes and went into the library. There were a lot of books about magic and law and history of the wizarding world. Walking around, she noticed a book with a familiar name: The Tales of Beedle the Bard.

It looked to be in a better condition than the one she got for Christmas, maybe a more recent edition. She skimmed through the pages of the book, chuckling to herself at the few pictures. One of them was called Babbity Rabbity and her Cackling Stump. Dipping into it, Ophelia found it quite interesting compared to the funny title. 

Selfish King wants to do magic and if he doesn't,then nobody should either. A muggle tries to help but in the end, he also seeks help from a real witch, Babbity. When in danger, the woman turns into a rabbit and smartly turns the situation around. 

"She turns into a rabbit, huh?" 

That was very familiar, reminding her of her earlier years at Hogwarts when her housemates were talking about animagi. Back then Remus said he'd prefer a small form,which now made sense. 

Next, Ophelia read the story that seemed to imply a lot more: The Tale of the Three Brothers. From the beginning to the end, she was absorbed by the subject. 

When Lucius entered the library, he found her sitting comfortably near the window, reading about animagi from what he noticed. In the middle of the pile of books was the collection of childish stories. 

"Are you planning on becoming an animagus?" Lucius asked with sarcasm. 

"No. But I want to know how I can recognize one. It seems that when in animal form, you can talk to other animals and other animagi. Besides, you choose the form and it can come in handy at times." 

"Saving a house elf, for example?" Lucius asked sarcastically but she nodded nontheless.

"What did your father say? He scolded you?" 

"No. He got busy and postponed my punishment." Lucius answered grumpily while sitting in front of her. 

"You're welcome." She didn't even raise her gaze from her studies. "I completely erased his memory of this morning. I didn't snoop around, if you're wondering. I have no interest in your father's memories." She added when she heard him stop breathing for a moment.

"Your father will come tomorrow so try to control your outbursts of kindness." The blond hissed, still not over their little adventure. 

"It seems like Tom is quite a figure in the wizarding community. Malfoy and Lestrange are heavy names yet you're all stuck babysitting me." She threw into discussion. 

"You have no idea," 

"I will, soon enough. I'm preparing to become a Death Eater, afterall." 

Lucius felt like scoffing but he only rolled his eyes.

"I doubt you will become one. Just because you mastered the power to enter one's mind doesn't make you a valuable asset. You need to show loyalty to the cause and we both know you will never do it." 

"And what's the cause? Pure blooded empire? Annihilation of the weak? Wow, such empowering reasons for a world from which we will depart at some point." 

"You don't know what you're talking about. Wizards are hiding from muggles, having children with them, letting the pureblood diminish until one day, there will only be half bloods and mudbloods." 

"Wow, aren't you passionate," Ophelia mumbled, placing her books aside, "And what part of this absolute wizarding world sounds so interesting to _you_? Not what your parents say, or anyone for that matter. What do _you_ believe about this cause, Lucius?" 

For a 13 years old witch, she was thinking too hard on the subject.

"Why don't you tell that to your dear father? I'm sure he'll have a lot to say about your mindset." 

"I suppose we'll see that tomorrow." 

* * *

Sunday arrived faster than Ophelia wished. The house was in such a heavy tension that house elves were trembling. Seeing how there was too much fuss about her father's arrival, Ophelia stopped the first elf that passed her.

"Why are you so terrified?" 

The house elf's bat ears rose and eyes widened.

"Miss should know. The Dark Lord is coming. Dobby should-um- should-" he spun around a few times before he ran into the dining hall.

But Ophelia needed a moment. Her father was coming, no one else, and everyone was intimidated by him, she had seen that before. Her father was a pureblood and secretive and Rodolphus obeyed quickly to his orders, without a single question. Everything up to that moment seemed to piece together and there was one big title.

"Bloody hell," she whispered, her eyes tearing up a bit. She needed to hyperventilate or else she will suffocate. It was so much more than she imagined and memories of Spinnard and dreams and everything just-

Three knocks indicated that the guest arrived. She walked slowly towards the entrance hall and watched as the same man that introduced her to magic, the same who took her under his wing and protected her entered the manor.

**The guest was Tom Riddle, also known as the Dark Lord.**

Tom noticed Ophelia immediately and cracked what was supposed to be a smile. She swallowed nervously, suddenly feeling like she was in great danger.

* * *

Tom arrived around lunch and walked inside the study with Mr. Malfoy. That was quite fortunate since Ophelia locked herself in her bedroom and spent necessary time under the blankets. 

She could hear all the sentences that included the Dark Lord and it made sense why it seemed to make such a difference in her relationships. 

 _"He's here. He was here before and still is but so am I."_ Was the black kitten talking about Tom or was it talking about something else? And there was also the dream she had in which Lillian was talking about him:  _“Your father, he’s a peculiar man, Ophelia. He won’t look at you but he will search for your gifts and exploit them until you will be left with nothing. You’ll have to return to him again and again because without an aim in life, he’s the only one that can fill that emptiness.”_

Pouting, she did what she's always done in times like these: play with magic. Small blue balls of energy were flying around her fingers, moving in every way she wanted, enlarging into her palms like fire before diminishing into little forms. Some of them were owls while others looked like cats; it was definitely relaxing.

A loud knock interrupted her and made her look up.

"It's Lucius. You should know that what you are doing is not wise. You have to meet your father soon." He spoke through the door.

She didn't respond but returned to her former activity.

"Look, Ophelia, right after Christmas, there is a muggle family that's been bugging wizards from southern London. The plan is to reduce them to silence but maybe you can save the Glenmores." Lucius added, waiting for a few minutes before the door unlocked and opened. 

"They're sending Lestrange. How can I stop that?" She asked, revealing her form still covered by the blanket. 

"Convince your father there's another way. This family has been quite the pest for the wizard family living there."

That proved to be hard, very hard. As soon as Ophelia entered the room her father was in, she saw him standing by himself in front of the chimney, thinking. At a closer look, she noticed he was hissing words to a snake, patting him like a normal house pet. 

"Ophelia, come closer. You have met her before," the man spoke in his usual freezing tone.

"You can speak to snakes." 

"You can too, it's part of who we are; descendants of Slytherin." He said those words before, she could easily recollect. "What have you done these past few days?" 

She froze, her eyes widening as she turned to him. He looked a bit different from last time: his blue eyes were more towards a black or reddish colour, as if he was intoxicated and his features were sharper, longer yet still beautiful. No matter what transformation he was going through, he was still a handsome man.

"It seems everyone who comes in contact with you ends up following those green eyes of yours. We're not so different," he added, knowing what she did.

"But we have different ways of achiving what we want." She answered meekly.

Tom tilted his head to the side, amused from what she could see. He chuckled and leaned towards his daughter while the snake creeped through her legs. It was not as uncomfortable as she imagined.

"Snakes are not vile creatures, they do not cause pain to those who do not deserve it." 

"You plan to kill a muggle family." The witch retorted, her tone getting firmer.

The snake hissed, dangerously creeping up her leg towards her knee. Ophelia gulped, her heart beats increasing. 

"You'll come along. It will be a good experience for you." 

It was quite clear that was an order and from his nonchalant behavior, it was clear that she better not go against his word. Tom was still her father and wouldn't harm her too much, that's been proven already. 

On her way back to her room, she met Lucius who seemed greatly distressed. 

"What did he say? Does he know about the elf?" the blond asked, alarmed that his punishment may just be worse than he thought.

"He knows but he doesn't seem bothered by it. Who are the Glenmores exactly? And what family lives in their neighborhood?" Ophelia asked, having the older boy tag along to her room.

"Roman Glenmore and his wife are squibs. That means they are children of both magical parents yet they do not have magic. They've always been sour about this subject in particular and have been encouraging muggles to take a stand against the wizards living there. Unfortunately for them, Nott lives there." Lucius explained, finally unveiling the mystery behind the importance of this family.

"Nott, hm? And why do they make such a fuss about it? Why not simply obliviate them?"

"I'm sure you heard Rodolphus when he said the army's growing. The Lord wants to gain Nott's favor by helping with this hindrance. Obliviating them wouldn't make much difference because their parents would notice and eventually lift the spell." Lucius continued.

"So they want to murder them because they're being lousy," Ophelia scoffed and opened the door to her room.

"They deserve it." Lucius mumbled but couldn't follow her in because she slammed the door in his face.

* * *

Days passed and Ophelia did not walk out of her room except when she was going to the library for books. Tom left before dinner on Sunday and although the Malfoys were disappointed, she was happy.

Unfortunately, Christmas was next and Ophelia got a lot of letters from her friends but Mr. Malfoy did not allow her to send any replies. Standing on her bed and going through the letters, she realized Severus was being incredibly interested in her life while also telling her what he's been doing and how much he's been studying legilimency and occlumency by himself. It was funny, which couldn't be said about her recent issues.

"Why are you laughing by yourself?" Lucius asked, leaning against the door frame. He was supposed to check on her whenever she was being too silent but now she was being too noisy. "I need to study for my N.E.W.T.s so be quiet," the blonde added in a scolding tone.

"It's the Christmas week, no one studies now. It's supposed to be a festive time." Ophelia combated, seeing the vein on his forehead trembling. "You're too stiff, Lucius."

"Maybe because I have reasons to be. I'm not the Dark Lord's daughter, I can be easily replaced." 

"Between you and Rodolphus, if I'd have to reach out to one of you, I'd choose you." 

Lucius' eyes widened, blushing faintly at her bold statement. He coughed twice before finally regaining his voice.

"Just keep the noise to a minimum." He said and left.

Ophelia raised an eyebrow, confused, before she returned to her letters. Among all those, she found one from a person she never expected: her new close friend, James. 

* * *

It seemed that there was an unspoken rule among the pure blooded evil families and that was Christmas dinner. Ophelia didn't expect Mr. Malfoy to make such a big fuss about it but he ordered her to wear a black dress. 

"This is so uncomfortable," she mumbled, walking down the stairs with the blond.

"It will get worse when the rest arrive." The older student commented, arranging his clothes, "Lestrange, Nott and Black. That's the menu for tonight." 

"Wait...the entire Black family? Sirius included?" Ophelia asked having second thoughts about the arrangement. 

"I'd be more worried about Bellatrix, if I were you. The families are in discussion to marry her and Rodolphus for later purposes." 

The witch gaped at the new information, having a very bad mental image.

"To each other?!" 

Lucius chuckled and nodded, enjoying her expression of absolute horror and disgust. She genuinely felt like shuddering, imagining little demons running around, procreated by the spawn of Satan and his best acolyte.


	56. Power

The first family to arrive at the Malfoy Manor was Nott, also the family living the furthest. Mr. and Mrs. Malfoy seemed to overflow with politeness and flattery techniques, it was sickening. Nott wasn't impressed so he shifted his attention on something else, for example the girl standing next to Lucius in a black dress, tapping her foot anxiously, in hope the dinner will end as boringly as it begins.

Sensing the heavy and curious gaze falling over her, Ophelia looked at her classmate and couldn't help but smirk bemusedly. She didn't have to enter his mind to know exactly what he was interested about and it seemed he actually got some courage of his own and walked to her.

"What are you doing here, Molley?"

"Spying," she joked, seeing how gullible Nott was when he was by himself. His eyes widened while Lucius tried his best to contain his elegant poker face.

"I wouldn't be surprised if you'd have infiltrated this dinner for that purpose alone." 

"She's a guest, just like you." Lucius interfered.

"What will Lestrange say when he sees her?"

"He'll greet me, what else? Haven't you seen how far my relationship with Rabastan has evolved? I may even call him a friend." Ophelia continued to tease Nott, knowing what she said was not entirely false.

Having been let speechless, the young Slytherin retreated to his parents and stuck to his mother like gum. It was slightly funny seeing how much a group meant for Slytherins of high rank. Even Lucius seemed to be far more genuine when not in the presence of Rodolphus or other students. 

"He won't let it pass once he returns to Hogwarts," added the blond, leaning against the wall. "As you know already, no one will interfere if you get bullied."

"It's fine. I have friends." She mumbled, turning towards the door when it opened once more. 

Ophelia had seen Mr. Lestrange before for brief moments but never for more than a minute. Now, looking up close, he was the more mature and grey haired version of his eldest son. Rabastan looked more like his mother.

"Such a pleasure to see you, Molley." Rodolphus, greeted her just like she pressumed.

Nott was in the dining hall and could not witness the event but he will see more during the meal.

As if nothing was odd with her presence there, Rabastan walked up to her and almost cracked a smile.

"Have you heard? A house elf had left the Lestrange household. He was freed by my parents." The boy started, his eyes glinting.

"How interesting," of course, she was sarcastic. They both knew she heard him refer to her as nothing but a way to get closer to the Dark Lord and that memory won't be forgotten too soon. 

"Father was incredibly angry." Rabastan added, looking into her eyes.

"Yeah well, your father doesn't scare me," 

"Bellatrix does. She'll arrive any minute now with the rest of the Blacks. Do you know what that means?" 

"Sirius will come too?" the girl asked, knowing that was the main point.

"And what will you tell him? He hates everyone in this house and what they value. How will you make him understand that no matter what blood runs through your veins, you're his friend?" 

"Friend is a big word." Ophelia muttered, thinking just how exactly she will approach the problem when it will arrive.

* * *

Ophelia waited patiently, looking at the door before turning towards the chimney. She glanced between the two for a few times until she turned to the blond.

"Why are they not using the Floo network?"

"Curtsy. It's one of our values," Lucius explained before three knocks grabbed their attention. Almost everyone was in the dining room except her, Lucius and the elf opening the door.

First to enter were the parents, two pairs in number with the ladies looking like women in history books and the men looking nothing like aristocrats but more like villains in muggle books. Lucius, like the young inheritor of his family, plastered a charming smile and walked towards the two set family.

"Welcome, I'm glad you could make it," Lucius helped every woman that stepped in his entrance hall, being particularly attentive with one of the young girls.

"Cygnus Black and Druella Rosier. They're the parents of the three girls: Bellatrix, Andromeda and Narcissa." Rabastan started, taking the empty spot next to her. "Narcissa and Lucius are supposed to marry after they graduate. As you can see, they both quite like the arrangement." Rabastan added, chuckling to himself. 

Narcissa Black was a pretty woman, with an elegance that seemed to draw Ophelia in. Unlike Bellatrix, whom the young girl disliked from every aspect, Narcissa was like a porcelain doll, with big blue eyes and long blonde hair. On the other hand, Bellatrix looked like a bumptious black poodle while Andromeda looked like she wished she was anywhere but there. 

The next group made Ophelia take a step back, though she couldn't hide anywhere since she was literally next to the door towards the dining room. Sirius entered prepared to glare at everyone and everything, his expressions set into a scowl for everyone to see his discomfort. Regulus was the boy she had met before, the boy that was being bullied by his housemates because of his older brother. 

The first to notice Ophelia was Sirius' mother, whose eyes narrowed at the young witch. The pompous woman turned to her husband and whispered something before she turned to Lucius.

"Why is that girl here? Should we have brought _someone_ as well?"

Ophelia raised an eyebrow, curious what that meant. She wasn't a slave and obviously she wasn't a muggle so then what happened to other _someones_ brought by the families?

"Shall we go in? I'm sure you have many to discuss with the rest." Lucius suavely turned the adults towards the main reason they came and they seemed to follow him silently. There was a problem, though.

"Molley, what in Merlin's beard are you doing here?!" Sirius hissed,  grabbing her arm and turning her to look at him.

Rabastan took that as a sign to return to his seat while Regulus took that as a sign to approach the two Gryffindors. His eyes widened when he noticed the resemblance to the girl he ran into at school, his appearance all disheveled at the time. 

"I was invited to spend the holidays with the Malfoys," she said the truth, knowing with a family like his, she may as well be the one to tell him the news. "Lucius and I, we're best friends now," she added sarcastically.

"Seriously, have you been brought here by force? Were you petrified and then-"

"I am as much of a guest as you are, Sirius. Why is that so hard to believe?"

"Because you're a Gryffindor."

"You're one too, brother." Regulus interfered seeing how Sirius' grasp on Ophelia's hand was tightening, "Maybe we should go in and see what happens," the boy added, warily watching Ophelia just in case she'd say something on the lines of I-have-seen-you-before.

But Ophelia didn't utter one word once she sat at the table. The arrangement was random yet the heads of the table were distinctly Mr. Malfoy and Mr. Lestrange. To her misfortune, Sirius was standing right across her while she was seated in between Andromeda and Rabastan. With house elves placing food in front of everyone, Ophelia couldn't help but smile at the creature once he was done with her, which seemed to provoke stress for him. 

"Don't be nice to them. You know what happened the last time," Rabastan mumbled, standing stiff for the whole time.

Sirius raised an eyebrow, curious just when did Rabastan Lestrange started to speak at the table. Ophelia glanced at Mr. Lestrange for a brief moment, not expecting him to be already looking at her. His eyes were dark and empty of any human emotion, making her shift her whole attention on her plate. 

Dinner passed in silence, which didn't seem to be necessary awkward since no one had anything to say. For Ophelia, dinner was odd and boring compared to how much Cerberus and Potter used to talk while eating. Sirius seemed to be thinking about something similar when he suddenly hit her under the table.

 _What?_ the girl mouthed but Sirius only shook his head in reply. 

Once dinner was done, the adults moved into another room while the children remained free to roam the house on their own. Unfortunately, Lucius and the Lestrange brothers were called to take part in the serious discussion thus letting Ophelia with the Black family members and Nott. 

"How did you get invited to this awful place?" Sirius asked as soon as he found the opportunity. "Don't you know what kind of family is Malfoy?" 

"I know. But I couldn't deny the invitation. I wanted to see just what is so precious about these old pureblooded families that people are so afraid of." Ophelia paused, remembering what she found out instead, "Let's say the answers I found were more than I expected." 

"Aren't you a pureblood? Malfoy would never invite anyone less than pure in his house and Lestrange would have killed you already." 

The younger Black brother was very smart and eloquent. Ophelia was pleasantly surprised by his wit as well, especially when her first impression of him was so unfortunate. 

"She's not." Sirius answered first, glaring at his brother.

"I am." She surprised the boys, "My parents are both purebloods. My father-" Ophelia stopped and glanced to the side, still seeing Tom's image smiling at her back when they first met. Did he even know she was his daughter back then? Did he approach her with a plan made or did he genuinely cared back then? 

"What about your father, Molley?" Sirius pressed onto that subject, seeing how she completely spaced out.

"My father...he's an uncommon man." She said, sighing at the terror she had seen him inflict on others without even being present. 

"Don't worry about the little mutt, Sirius. You don't know anything about her." Bellatrix chuckled, her dark eyes shifting on Ophelia, "This poxy is running around danger by herself. All willing to be a Death Eater, aren't you?" 

Sirius froze while the rest of the viewers simply tensed. Bellatrix got up and walked towards Ophelia, her dark eyes piercing through every layer of strength Ophelia had. 

"Isn't that why you are here, poxy? To beg...your life is so pitiful that once you heard about the Dark Lord and his power, you decided to join him." 

Ophelia couldn't even hear what Bellatrix was rambling about. All she could hear was her father's voice, repeating words that were contradicting Bellatrix's. 

"You are the one that knows nothing." The young Gryffindor hissed, her eyes sparkling. 

Bellatrix glared at the young student and drew her wand, pointing it at Ophelia's nose. 

"Do not use such tone with me, wench!" Bellatrix hissed in return, her whole appearance sending a shiver down Nott's back. 

But looking at Ophelia, there was something even darker swirling into her eyes. The way she seemed so composed and assured, it felt like she was someone else. 

Seeing how Ophelia was anything but scared, Bellatrix screamed _Stupefy!_  but the curse didn't even reach Ophelia but went back onto Bellatrix. The Black member was sent against the wall in the dining room, making a bit of a noise. 

"What are you doing here?! We're-" 

Mr. Malfoy noticed the way Ophelia was standing and could feel the power ooze off her little form. 

"What happened?" Asked Mr. Lestrange walking forward. 

"Bellatrix...this girl here just used a curse on my sister!" Narcissa cried, alerting her mother instantly. They both ran to Bellatrix' aid, as well as having Mrs. Malfoy apologize for Ophelia's actions.

"But she doesn't even have a wand." Nott mumbled, having witnessed something new. 

Mr. Lestrange walked to Ophelia with what looked to be a scowl. But when the girl turned to him, the stern look in her eyes was an exact copy of Tom's. Mr. Lestrange raised an eyebrow, seemingly pleased.

"It's alright. We can all agree that Miss Bellatrix can overreact at times." 

The authoritarian man was famous for being a vile person who would never take anyone's side if there was nothing he could gain. Sirius could only wander what was that he wanted from Ophelia. 

* * *

Christmas was tiring, and still that was an underestimation. Once Bellatrix got stupefied, the party ended and everyone went home. Ophelia went into her room to calm down. It was odd how right before the curse, she started to hear her father whispering words that seemed to empower her. It happened before, which again made Ophelia feel like her father has been monopolizing her. 

She looked up only when she heard knocks against the wooden door. It opened before she could reply and Lucius entered with an amused expression.

"Your name will be thrown through mud for several decades after what you have done tonight." He started, trying his hardest not to show his amusement.

Ophelia groaned and hid her face in the pillow. 

"You did it in front of Nott too. He's not exactly a secretive person, nor are his parents. And the Black brothers..." 

Lucius was spinning the knife in the wound and Ophelia was growing more and more uncomfortable. She looked at him with a glare and swayed her hand, the boy getting pushed back and door closing in his face.

Seeing how it happened unconsciously, Ophelia gasped and looked at her hands. She couldn't say she was sorry for what she did to Bellatrix, it was funny now that she was thinking about it. The brunette witch chuckled at the memory before she started to laugh loudly, feeling like Bellatrix has been asking for it ever since they first met. The girl leaned back and looked at her serpent ring, feeling a wave of confidence engulf her body.

From the other side of the door, Lucius sighed heavily. She was being pulled into her father's web and it seemed like the man had a lot more influence over her than anyone expected. Well, he couldn't say he was displeased by it but it seemed Mr. Lestrange's interest in the Dark Lord's daughter was growing.

* * *

It was a week later when Ophelia was awaken early in the morning by Lucius. 

"We have to go. Put this on," he said and handed her a cloak and a mask, both looking like parts of a Halloween costume. 

Ophelia had very little time to prepare and once she was done, she followed Lucius into the dining hall where Mr. Malfoy was standing with Mr. Lestrange. Everyone was dressed the same only the elder men looked scarier.

"Where are we going?" she asked Lucius, who in return gave her Floo Powder. He didn't give her a reply but only followed his father into the chimney. It all made sense when she heard Nott Residence. With the two Malfoys gone, she realized she had to travel with Mr. Lestrange and swallowed nervously. 

"Are you scared, Ophelia?" the elder asked, glancing at her from the corner of his eye as they stepped into the chimney. "Don't forget, you come to observe."

* * *

The Nott Residence was actually somewhere in Southern England, a few miles from Brighton. If anything, it looked like a haunted little village but that was only a cover from muggles. The houses were tall in height and imposing, especially their Gothic architecture.

Waiting for them was Mr. Nott, dressed in the same costume. The men nodded at each other before they walked on the front lawn.

“When will the Dark Lord arrive?” Mr. Lestrange asked, his voice muffled by the mask.

“Soon. I have prepared everything, as instructed.” Mr. Nott answered his tone meek in front of Lestrange.

Seeing how the men were drawing out their wands, Ophelia did the same. She followed them down the street, the light diminishing as they walked to their neighbors. The house seemed as old as Nott’s but not as well maintained. A few windows were broken while half of the house was covered in mold. It smelled rotten and the front lawn was covered in shrubbery.

“It looks awful…” she mumbled, stopping next to Lucius.

“It’ll be worse in a few minutes.”

As if the others heard Lucius, they literally blew up the front gate and they all disappeared as smoke. Ophelia remained all alone on the street after Lucius walked towards the front door and loudly said _Bombarda!_

It was intense as it was, with smoke engulfing the house and people screaming inside. A few minutes were enough for the Glenmores to run out, towards Ophelia. Mr. Glenmore saw the shorter masked witch and pointed at her.

“You wizards, it’s all your fault! I should have unmasked you earlier! I should have written to the Queen and the Parliament to witness all your errands! Muggles are in danger because of you!”

They were approaching the gate when one of the cloaked men pushed him harshly, making him fall very close to Ophelia’s feet. He got up, stumbling around, probably having a lot of emotions and a slight concussion. With a blurry vision, he caught onto the first thing he found, which was the young witch.

“You’re one of them. If everyone knew about the wizarding world, they could have prepared to destroy all of you. Being magical doesn’t make you immortal,” the old man started, his breath smelling as if he hasn’t brushed his teeth in years.

“You’re a wizard too.” Ophelia couldn’t help but answer to his taunting. “Just because you can’t use magic doesn’t mean you’re not a wizard. Your family members are wizards too. Do you really want them to die?”

It seemed like her words angered the old man even more. His eyes widened and his grip on her cloak tightened. He shook her a bit before he leaned very close to her face.

“You don’t know anything. Dark times are approaching for both muggles and wizards. The difference is that muggles and squibs will have to pay the price for your war.” The man whispered, spitting on her face while talking.

“What are you talking about?” she asked, frowning.

The man started to laugh, showing his rotten teeth. He started to shake her harshly but Ophelia couldn’t find the force to push him away. The man was laughing and crying at the same time like maniac.

“Avada Kedavra!” the same chilling voice of her father screamed as he walked behind her.

Ophelia’s eyes widened as she saw life vanishing from his eyes and laughter die with his soul. The grip on her cloak lessened and the man fell at her feet, eyes wide and empty, body cold and lifeless. Her hands started to tremble as she couldn’t shrug off the image she witnessed. It was so close, so ridiculously traumatizing as she saw the sparkle of life leave his form and death snatched his soul.

“Avada Kedavra!” was heard again and Ophelia saw Mrs. Glenmore on the ground, sprawled on her back with her mouth opened and eyes terrified of the man that murdered her.

Ophelia was speechless. She couldn’t help but let fear crawl up her spine and take over her body. It was so intense, still vivid in her mind, how a person died in front of her.  She looked at her father and jolted when he met her eyes. He was content because he showed her exactly what he wanted her to see: his power over life and death.


	57. Trauma

The two weeks of holidays ended quite dramatically for some. While the Nott family could finally live their vile existence without a family of squibs always asking for a fight, Ophelia has been traumatized by watching someone die in front of her. When they returned to Hogwarts, she visibly retreated into her shell and started to look into people's eyes every time she had the opportunity. 

"There will be a Quidditch match some time in February and from what I heard, I'll play seeker once again!" Potter bloated.

"You heard wrong," Charlie Wood mumbled, quickly stuffing his face so he won't have to give answers.

"What about you, badge? How's Christmas been?" Potter asked, drawing everyone's attention on her.

Ophelia glanced at Sirius before her eyes moved on the glasses boy. She shifted in her seat until finally deciding to speak.

"I freed a house elf called Dylis." she answered surprising everyone including the dark haired boy. "It happened. Besides that, my holidays have been uninteresting," she continued.

"What do you mean you freed a house elf? Did you even have one to begin with?" Cissney asked, confused how could Ophelia come in contact to the short creature.

Sirius glanced at the loud-mouthed girl before he turned to Ophelia with interest. Her friends were cornering her and her answer needed a lot of thought.

"It wasn't mine, it was someone else's. I was at the right place, at the right time. That's what happened, really." she answered, amusing Sirius. She had a lot of courage to lie so upfrontedly. "What about you, Black? How was Christmas?" she turned to him, surprising the boy but also their classmates.

"It was dreadful." was his simple answer and Ophelia didn't pester.

That was how dinner ended and everyone seemed to be content. Ophelia felt good now that she was surrounded by red and couldn't help but smile.

"You're being incredibly odd." Sirius mumbled as he lagged behind so he could walk with her. "You should be loud and preppy like jolly beans over there," 

Ophelia raised an eyebrow as she registered the person he was talking about was actually Cissney. 

"She's bright and lively. I think that's a goal we'll never achieve. You and I, we can't run from our blood." 

Sirius stopped and stared at the brunette with a glare. There were so many questions he had planned for her but with all the excitement of being back at school he just shrugged them off. But here she was, talking as if something happened and knowledge found itself in her brain. 

"What do you know about blood? Why were you at Malfoy's Christmas dinner?" The boy asked, curiosity and suspicion bubbling inside his body. 

"I was invited." She answered simply.

"By who? Lucius?" 

There was a short pause in which Ophelia looked to the side, avoiding the real answer.

"Sure. Lucius is a friend, for the use of a polite word. There's also Rabastan," she said, looking like everything was normal. 

"Whatever you say..." he mumbled and walked past her, the glare never leaving his face.

Ophelia watched as he jumped the last few steps since the stairs moved. She sighed heavily and looked down at her muddy shoes. Life was getting complicated. 

* * *

It wasn't anything new to have sudden flashbacks of the time she spent in the orphanage, especially Aviemore, but this dream was different. It wasn't real but it definitely felt so, from the very beginning...

_The forest was cold, grass was frozen and would break every time she moved. It was the same sight and temperature as back when she first met a Dementor. Curious, the girl searched for the black cat but it wasn't there._

_Taking a few steps to the side, she stopped when she heard someone whistle. It wasn't randomly done but more like expectant; that person was luring her towards him and she was letting herself go with it._

_Lead by the whistling, Ophelia walked deeper into the forest, until she reached a table, longer than the one in the Malfoy Manor but shorter than the one in Hogwarts. It only had a candle in the middle, which suddenly lit up at the same time the whistling stopped._

_One by one, people started to appear at the table. Some were familiar faces -Dumbledore and McGonagall- and some were young and worried- Cerberus, Spinnard, Peverell and last but not least, Lillian._

_"Why have we been brought here? Especially, me," Spinnard asked, standing on his chair as if there was lava all around him. He did not like being there with those people._

_"It's my fault isn't it? It's because of my cousin?"_

_"We're having difficulties understanding just what is that Tom asked you to do at the Gaunt house." Dumbledore started, his blue eyes sparkling misteriously. Lillian looked down and then she looked at Vernon before her eyes found Dumbledore's._

_"He will know if I tell you the truth or not, but will you know the difference?" She asked, talking in that secretive and ambiguous way._

_"We may not but Luce will be more than enough for that particular worry."_

_"So what, you'll enter my mind in order to see if I'm lying? I'm not foolish and neither is Tom. What makes you think I'll trust you more than him? Professor-" Lillian stopped and looked at McGonagall, who was her favorite professor at Hogwarts._

_"Lillian, we both know you have less than a year before you'll graduate. Peverell won't be able to protect you, Hogwarts won't be able to protect you...it is, ultimately, your choice."_

_"I don't need protection. He won't hurt me."_

_At that point, something must have pissed Spinnard off because even from Ophelia's spot, it was obvious he used legilimency to enter Lillian's mind. She was a great witch but she lacked in defending her mind which brought the next statement._

_"Merlin's beard, you're bearing his child!" Luce exclaimed, though he looked unimpressed._

_Although everyone at the table was shocked, Peverell seemed to be the one to take the announcement the worst. He ran away, feeling his chest hurt like nothing before._

_Ophelia watched him run into the forest with a furious expression before she turned to the table.Lillian seemed very calm, even if she did stare at Peverell longingly as he stormed off._

_"It's not a mistake." She said before anyone would judge her, "I want this child and I will take responsability of what I have done when time will force me to."_

_"You need to be aware of what is grooming inside of you. I'm afraid we can only aid you but our help won't matter if you leave with him."_

_Lillian smiled softly and rubbed her belly fondly._

_"It's alright, professor. I trust Tom. He's family."_

_The images all vanished and Ophelia spun around, searching for another hint. She didn't expect a pair of cold hands to wrap around her and pull her into a firm chest._

_"Don't let yourself be driven by his pride and power. Friendship is more important than anything. I trust you'll make the right decision, Ophelia."_

_That was not her father. The voice was warm, kind, it made her feel safe for some reason but it was also very strange. Her heart pounded loudly as if everything that person said was offending her. It was suffocating how two parts were fighting inside of her, so much that she couldn't breathe. Her throat dimmed, if that was possible and the man behind her tightened his grip so it would be even harder for her._

_Then she heard it... **Avada Kedavra**! The image of life fading from one's eyes appeared in front of her and green light engulfed them all._

Ophelia woke up drenched in sweat and gasping for air. It was so bad that Lily woke up too.

"Are you alright?" The red haired girl asked, watching her friend with worry.

Ophelia couldn't talk just yet. She was trembling in fear and she wasn't sure why...

* * *

"Are you sure you're alright? You seem off," Lily asked in the morning. Cissney was a loud mouth so the red haired girl decided not to worry her or Alice. 

"It was just a nightmare." Ophelia answered but it was obvious for anyone that for her, it was much more than a bad dream. "You don't have to worry, Lily. You should help Potter with his assignment or else professor Slughorn will force us in pairs again..." she changed the subject which seemed to work for the moment. 

Now that she convinced Lily that everything was fine, Ophelia had to convince herself too. While everyone was hurrying to stuff their faces from early in the day, she decided to skip it. Her feet led her all around for around twenty minutes before she went into the Astronomy Tower. She leaned against the wall and hid her face in her knees...and she started to cry. It was very uncommon to her character but tears were flowing out and she couldn't stop them. 

She probably stayed like that for a while because she fell asleep. The green light, the harsh words coming from her father and death woke her up later on. She looked up and jolted in surprise when she saw Severus' face so close to hers. 

"What in Merlin's name are you doing here?" He asked, his voice calm and soft.

"I'm fine," she mumbled, wiping the tears from her eyes. 

"Do you even know what time it is? It's dinner time. You have been here since when?" He continued, unconsciously looking at her serpent ring. 

"Dinner?! It was morning when I came here..." 

Ophelia rose and tidied herself before she turned to the Slytherin. He was neat, like always, and his dark hair seemed less greasy than before. On the other hand, she was a mess. 

"Do you want to talk about what happened?" Severus asked, acting like a friend for the first time in three years. "Is it about your father?" 

"My father..." she chuckled coldly, her heart pounding just like in the nightmare. "I trust him but for some reason I feel like I shouldn't. Everyone seems to believe that my mother knew what she was doing but she obviously didn't. She was murdered, after all." 

"You're not your mother." Severus pitched in, thinking that might help. It didn't because Ophelia's eyes darkened considerably.

"No. I'm more like my father, I guess. The Dark Lord," 

Severus' owlish eyes widened. He grabbed her shoulders harshly and brought her closer, looking like he was going to implode.

"Never tell anyone about it." 

Ophelia raised an eyebrow but somehow she did expect him to have figured it out by himself. She did tell him everything.

"At least I know now why Malfoy and Lestrange are so benevolent. What about you, Sev? Actually no. I don't want to know the answer." She corrected herself before she squirmed out of his grasp. "You know, it seemed like everything was going to be alright when I found out but then-" the green light flashed before her eyes and she couldn't continue.

"What happened exactly?" 

"I spent Christmas with Malfoy. Surprisingly, Lucius acted less like a prick and more like a normal human being. He helped me free Lestrange's house elf and he aided me if I needed help. It was fun, in a way," she couldn't help but remember Bellatrix and their little moment. It felt satisfactory to have the woman that hurt her be hurt in return, particularly in her pride. 

"And?" urged Severus seeing how the girl was reminiscing some memory. 

"Let's say I saw what happens if you annoy the Dark Lord. It's not a bright sight, Sev. It's traumatizing even," she said, her tone growing soft.

"After what you have seen, do you still believe it's a good idea to continue your dark arts lessons?" The Slytherin asked, hoping she finally realized what she was sacrificing.

But her answer seemed to be the opposite.

"I know exactly what I am getting myself into, which cannot be said about you and the rest of the Slytherins." She said, no tinge of sympathy or remorse in her tone.


	58. Interesting Twist

Nightmares continued and they became more and more realistic. It seemed that there were a lot more details that Spinnard didn't know and Dumbledore kept to himself. It also seemed that Lillian was McGonagall's favorite student, going as far as having the best transfiguration skills in the school. 

The nightmares also unveiled the relationship between Peverell and Lillian while in Hogwarts but none showed Lillian during the holidays or during the summer break. Ophelia considered it as a hint towards the person that was invading her mind by night.

Her day dreaming stopped when someone fell at her feet. She looked down and recognized the pale first year as Regulus Black. Ophelia looked up at the direction he came from and saw a few Gryffindors chuckling to themselves. 

"I tripped, sorry!" He apologized as he got on his feet.

"And I believe you," she answered in the same tone, taking another glance of the first year Gryffindors, "Where are your friends when you need them? Aren't Slytherins loyal to each other?" Ophelia added, containing that tinge of sarcasm. 

"Loyalty needs to be earned first. I haven't just yet." He mumbled, accepting her help when gathering his books. "Thanks. Will you still go to the after hours?" 

"Excuse me?" She asked completely taken aback.

"The dark arts lessons. That's how everyone calls it nowadays. It seems Rabastan will take lead while his brother and Malfoy are one step closer to becoming Death Eaters." Regulus mumbled, glancing left and right suspiciously. 

"Do you want to be a Death Eater too? Sirius would go crazy if that would happen." 

"Sirius is different. He'll never understand what our family is about." 

For an 11 years old he was talking as if he had the whole world on his shoulders. 

"What is it about then?" She asked, curious what his answer will be.

"Heritage, tradition, status and many more. Our family's been influential for centuries and we cannot let ourselves be outrun by others." He said, his loyalty towards his family beaming off his skinny figure.

"You should concentrate on the present because from what I noticed, big words don't help if you're bullied." She adviced him, knowing she should do it too when meeting Mulciber. 

"I'm not being bullied." He stated slowly.

"And I believe you 100 percent," she answered in the same manner, but this time she gave him a warm smile.

* * *

The day continued well, especially because Potter was boasting about something or another. Remus seemed a bit too silent but once she sat next to him during Transfiguration, he smiled. 

"How is the smartest boy in school doing?" Ophelia asked.

"I'm not the smartest boy in school. That must be a Ravenclaw or something," he mumbled in return yet not able to turn his head to her. 

"What happened?" 

Ophelia was the kind of person that would always notice if something was wrong, skill that seemed to have grown with her. Remus sighed and pulled his collar only a few milimeters away, unveiling a huge scar on his neck. Ophelia's eyes widened, not expecting something so serious.

"Was it a hard Christmas?" 

"I spent the holidays at school and so did some Slytherins. It's not exactly their fault, though!" He added quickly, seeing her eyes narrow. "It wasn't his fault." 

"Whose fault wasn't it?" She asked slowly, wanting him to trust her instead of sneaking inside his mind.

"Just, no one's." 

Remus looked down at his book and luckily professor McGonagal entered the classroom but that did not mean Ophelia was done with that subject. 

It was better not to make a fuss about Remus and this person that supposedly hurt him but somehow, Ophelia couldn't let it go. He was such a nice human being that he didn't want to cause a scene or cause harm but that scar was haunting Ophelia's mind.

"I was thinking and we'll probably have our next Hogsmeade visit sometime in February, for you know, _that_." Potter started, his eyes scanning everyone around him. "Someone explain to badge what _that_ is," he added sensing the confusion radiating from the brunette.

"Valentine's Day." Frank said quickly.

"And so, I was thinking that maybe that would be a good time to pull a bit of a prank on the majestic prick." 

"That's Mulciber," Frank explained, throwing a short glance at Ophelia before turning his attention to his friend. 

"Ah, right, did Mulciber spend Christmas here?" Ophelia asked, her eyes staring into Cissney's. 

"No. Very few students stayed here and even fewer Slytherins." 

"So it wasn't Mulciber..." she mumbled to herself, eyes shifting towards Remus. 

It was after dinner when Ophelia found herself in the Astronomy Tower once again. She wrote a list and granted to Cissney's information, she already crossed a few names out. 

"Again up here by yourself," 

Severus skipped the last few stairs and walked towards her. The Tower was large and there were a lot of things deposited against the walls. Ophelia raised an eyebrow and waited for her friend to reach her before asking.

"How do you always know where I am?" 

It wasn't meant as a reproach but more as a curiosity. 

"It's either here or the dungeons. I live in the dungeons so," he didn't have to continue for her to understand. "Anyway, what are you doing? What-why are my dorm mates on this list?" He asked, taking the paper from her.

"Someone hurt Remus and let an ugly scar on his neck. I just want to repay him," 

"With an ugly scar?" The boy asked sarcastically.

Ophelia's vengeful mind was not so weak as to stop at a scar but it was better not to tell her friend that.

"Sure. That works too," she answered and grabbed her list back. "So, who stayed at Hogwarts this Christmas?"

"Rosier. His family's been having muggle problems so they decided to take care of them instead. Katie and Evan remained at Hogwarts so Dumbledore wouldn't get suspicious." Severus explained in the same manner the weather man informs people of the forecast. "Did you think that maybe your classmate just fell? Why does it have to be a Slytherin behind every injured Gryffindor? Sometimes it happens the other way around." 

"Like Regulus? Is he being bullied by Gryffindors?" She boldly asked, taking Severus by surprise.

"Yes, he is. Why? You'll actually help a first year Slytherin instead of your own house?" 

He didn't want to sound so rude but his personality wasn't exactly the kindest either. But the tone of his voice and the position he was in, the way he was looking at her as if she was both the enemy and a friend, it reminded her so much of Spinnard.

* * *

To Snape's surprise, Ophelia did follow her plan and she started to do what she's always done when interested in something: gather information and follow around. It was Wednesday morning and Severus shook his head when he noticed the brunette stare as Regulus entered the Great Hall. 

"I was thinking, we should use the next Hogsmeade visit to our advantage for the Quidditch match in March." Avery started. 

"Me too, but not particularly for Quidditch. I still have unfinished bussiness with one Gryffindor," Mulciber mumbled, an awful scowl on his face as he threw a glare towards the brunette.

Nott looked up at Ophelia and sighed. Except him, no one in their year knew that she spent Christmas with Malfoy. It was so strange how she could act in front of her friends while behind their backs she was learning dark arts.

"She's a hypocrite. Lying to everyone, showing loyalty when the truth is that she is far worse than a blood traitor." Nott added his own point of view, quite randomly since they already moved onto other subjects.

"Hogsmeade will be fun this winter. Besides, with so many chocolates and love potions handed from one person to another, nobody will know it was us." Avery added, chuckling darkly before he took a bite from his toast.

Severus paid attention to Nott in particular, seeing him glance at Ophelia even afterwards. They had Potions which was a great opportunity for Slytherins to act.

But none did. For the first time in a long time, Ophelia could concentrate on her potion without having Severus look over her shoulder. It didn't look half bad and even Slughorn was surprised by her achievement.

"Well, Molley, you may actually be able to pass the exam with a modest grade this year," the professor commented when he passed by her cauldron. 

"Thanks, professor," she replied, her face brightening.

"That wasn't a compliment nor an encouragement," whispered Severus, feeling embarrassed for her. 

By the time the class was over, nothing out of ordinary happened and even Sirius and James were curious what made Slytherins so calm.

"They're planning something. They've been too silent," Sirius mumbled on the way to lunch. Ophelia had Occlumency next which gave Sirius another bright idea, "Why don't you wander around their minds? Just a bit, not enough to notice." 

Ophelia raised an eyebrow, seemingly appaled by such an action. It wouldn't be the first time she reacts against her classmates' expectations. 

"Did it ever occur to you that maybe they just found something better to do?" Lily asked, mostly taking her friend's side than a boy that could see conspiracies everywhere.

"You mean another target," the dark haired boy retorted, making Lily roll her eyes.

"Why am I even trying anymore? You'll do whatever you please anyway," 

"Blimey, Evans finally got it!" Sirius exclaimed sarcastically, turning to James and Frank. 

"No, Sirius is right. They usually throw glances in the corridor or go around saying stuff behind our backs. Ever since we came back, Slytherins have been odd." Potter took his best mate's side, naturally.

Ophelia glanced over her shoulder at a few Slytherins and noticed Regulus once again sprawled at the bottom of the stairs, glaring at a few Gryffindors. Maybe it was payback for all the trouble between the houses.

"Hey! You there! Are you first years?!" 

It was even more surprising to have Potter yell at the same subjects Ophelia was looking at. Everyone turned and Sirius' eyes widened when he saw his brother. Regulus jumped on his feet faster than expected and left the scene with Sirius on his tail. On the other side, Potter looked angry.

"Let me make something clear: Gryffindors are not bullies. I don't care what you have heard of Slytherins but someone smart said once that if you get taunted, you never give in and attack. Remember that." The glasses boy said with such a rare strict tone. The boys looked down and nodded before they ran off.

"What did we just wittness?" Cissney asked Alice who in return shook her head in astonishment. 

"Did you just go all professor McGonagall on them?" Ophelia asked bemusedly. It seemed that relaxed the boy a bit and he shrugged.

"Sometimes I'm McGonagall and sometimes I'm Slughorn." 

That translated meant he was either too affected and perceptive or avoiding trouble by turning a blind eye. Ophelia was happy to see that Potter was growing up. 

"Maybe Cissney is right and there's a lot of potential in you too, James. Not bad," she mumbled before she patted him on his shoulder awkwardly and turned to Remus instead. 

Potter remained like a statue and blushed, seeing a badge that he hasn't seen before; one whose eyes weren't hiding anything, whose smile was genuine. 

"That's an interesting twist ..." Cissney mumbled to herself, watching the interaction between the two with curiosity.


	59. Secrets and More Secrets

"Reg! Reg, stop running away and tell me what was that?" Sirius barked at his younger brother, grabbing him by his arm and harshly stopping him. "Were those guys messing with you?"

"I can manage my own school life, thank you very much," the youngster replied, looking anywhere but into his brother's eyes. 

"Those were Gryffindors. Why didn't you tell me?" Sirius added, feeling exasperated.

"Because it wouldn't make a difference. You're one of them after all." he said, "I don't need you to take my side. We're not the same."

Regulus' answer hit deep into Sirius' heart, making the older boy let him go and sigh loudly.

"Did mother tell you something weird again? Did she advice you to stay away from me?"

"She didn't have to. People can't see us together, it's not as if we're kids."

"Yes, we are. You're a first year, Reg, and you already made an enemy out of Gryffindors? Is this Lestrange's influence or-"

"Slytherin. I'm a Slytherin, brother. This conversation is useless. Just, don't talk to me anymore," Regulus mumbled before he ran away, leaving Sirius both furious and confused.

* * *

"He told me to never speak to him again, can you believe it?!" 

It was only natural that Black would go running to his best friend and complain to him. That was fine, moving even, but Sirius chose the wrong time and wrong place for their brotherhood time.

"Hey, Black, we're trying to concentrate here." Cissney hissed and she was not the only person to be interrupted during DADA. Cerberus was a fun professor but he still needed them to take notes, Since the subject was werewolves, he particularly gave them strict information to copy down.

"Everything's alright, Sirius?" the owlish professor turned his wide eyes to the dark haired boy. 

"Sure, professor. Extraordinary!" Sirius said sarcastically but Cerberus shook his head and shrugged the teenager off, knowing it was better to not know.

"Kids," the professor mumbled as he went back to his desk. He could really see the reason why Spinnard hated teaching, especially when he had Ravenclaws interrupt him every few minutes in order to add to his explanations. 

"You should control yourself during classes, Black. You were lucky professor Knowingall is so kind...if it was Spinnard..." Alice stopped, shuddering at the thought.

Once classes were done, students rushed out as if the Devil was on their trail. That was far from the characterization of their professor -who was angelic compared to Spinnard- but they couldn't wait for their dueling club. 

"Hey, Molley, I'd like my partner back this term." Sirius started, grabbing a hold of Potter. 

"It's alright," as soon as she said that she turned to Frank Longbottom, "I already have someone else in mind."

The way she smiled cutely made the boy shudder. He noticed how fast she was improving and how sharp she was and yet he couldn't say no. 

* * *

Nothing major really happened afterwards, not until their Hogsmeade break on Valentine's Day.

"Um-this is odd,"

It wasn't exactly odd as it was different.

Cissney became quite a big influence in the student council and getting many cards was expected. Lily was also very smart and although she seemed to be on good terms with everybody, she only got a card from Severus although he said it wasn't necessarily romantic. Ophelia couldn't care less and there was Alice...it wasn't so peculiar that she received a card as much as it was the person that gave it to her.

"Frank, I am speechless." She mumbled, playing with the card nervously. 

Frank blushed. He would have liked to give it in a quiet and more intimate place in Hogsmeade but his friends wouldn't hear it.

" _It's the dreadful day! Prepare yourself!" Potter started, his toothbrush hanging loosely in his mouth._

_The other boys only groaned, expecting a lot of moaning from their boastful friend. During the first and second year, students weren't allowed to receive and give Valentine's Day attentions because they were too young -or so said Spinnard- but now it was different. They could even have dates! Oh, James couldn't wait!_

_"So, mates, who'd you like to invite to a smooch?" Potter joked around, grabbing the closest friends. Sirius shrugged his eyes while Frank tensed with a red blush contouring his cheekbones. "Well, well, well, Frank...spill it out mate,"_

_"No thanks. I'll just give it to her silently," the boy replied meekly._

_"Nonesense!" Potter screamed out before he slapped his friend on the back quite hard. "Give it to her now! If you see her, be a man and do it!"_

_Frank swallowed nervously but unconsciously searched for the girl with his eyes. When finally found, he took a few moments to calm his rapidly beating heart before he walked up to her. Potter watched with bright eyes as Frank went to the cushion in front of the fireplace._

_"A-Alice...um, here," he didn't wait for an answer but just pushed it into her hand and moved to the back, his blush intensifying._  

Walking out into the halls was even more embarrassing if you were Cissney Littlewood. One blond boy came rushing to her and almost fell over before he recuperated. 

"Ci-Cissney...Maybe we can grab a cup of tea at Madame Puddifoot's?"

"Why Miss Littlewood, you seem to be far more popular than you tell us." Lily joked, nudging her friend playfully. 

Cissney took a long look around the corridor before she sighed in disappointment. Ophelia raised an eyebrow, noting how she seemed to be looking for one boy in particular. 

"What's your answer, Cissney?" The brunette asked, leaning towards the student council member. 

"Thanks, Rudy but I will be very busy with the council." The girl answered before she rushed out of there.

Rudy Willowbee remained there with wide puppy eyes and his mouth slightly agape. He looked down at his feet before he looked up at the rest of the group. It suddenly became very awkward for both sides.

"You're a Hufflepuff, aren't you?" Lily asked once silence fell between them. 

"Yes. Fifth year." He answered as if life has been sucked from his body.

"Chin up, Willowbee. Try to impress Littlewood during Quidditch. You're a decent Chaser." Potter advised the poorly looking boy. 

"Whatever," he mumbled as he left, dragging his feet against the floor. 

That sort of events continued for the rest of the day, even in Hogsmeade. Ophelia glanced a few times at the plain yet popular girl before she asked.

"Who are you waiting for?" 

"What do you mean?" Cissney asked as if she didn't know.

"You're waiting for somebody."

"No, I'm not." She replied quickly. Ophelia raised an eyebrow and almost used legilimency when they reached Honeydukes. She stopped herself when she saw Potter talking animatedly with a tall boy, with broad shoulders yet not exactly good looking but more like dark and brooding. "Blimey, he knows Potter," she whispered, dusting herself off and patting her dark hair.

Ophelia nudged Lily who also nudged Alice and all the girls waited curiously for the face of this anonymous boy. A few minutes passed and it didn't seem like the boys noticed them so Ophelia took the matter in her own hands.

"Hey, Potter, you seem to know an awful lot of people lately!"

Finally gaining his attention, Cissney's heart beats quickened. The mysterious boy turned around but something else blocked their view, a person with the same broad shoulders but in no way brooding. If anything, the blond was radiating happiness.

"'ello girls!Nice to see you Molley!" Goldstein's blue outfit was only highlighting his uncovered golden hair. 

"Have you become taller during the holidays? You seem enough to block two boys from view," Ophelia answered as bluntly as usually. That might have been the only reason why the Ravenclaw didn't take it to heart.

"Ah, yes," he laughed it off but noticed Cissney trying to peek around him. Goldstein looked over his shoulder at Potter and the other boy before he smiled widely, probably getting the picture. "Potter and Zabini, huh? It's quite strange how those two seem so civilised with each other."

"Why?" Lily asked, wasting no minute.

"Ah, don't you know? Zabini is a Slytherin. He used to run the Dueling Club but now that he became the captain of the Slytherin Quidditch team, he doesn't have time. That's how he met Potter, probably."

"Wait, wait, wait, he's a Slytherin? A full fledged Slytherin that is most probably insufferable and prejudiced against everybody." Alice concluded before she glanced at Cissney, "A Slytherin."

"Also a pureblood. He's in the same year with Rabastan Lestrange and they seem to be friends. I have to admit I wouldn't have pictured Zabini and Potter together before." Goldstein gave his input, waving at Potter when Zabini left. The glasses boy ran to the group and gave Goldstein a big pat on the arm.

"Blimey, Tim, you've gotten huge in what-two weeks? What do they feed you?" 

Seeing how the man of interest was not in sight anymore, Cissney relaxed and even sighed in relief although she would have wanted to see her crush up close. Ophelia looked at her friend before she looked at the spot the two boys occupied only a few minutes ago. Maybe she could help if she asked the right questions to the right people.

* * *

As soon as they finished their trip to Honeydukes, most Gryffindors went to look around which let Ophelia sneak away from her group. Probably Sirius noticed but she couldn't care less what he believed she was doing thus she started to search around for any Slytherin- it didn't matter as long as she could get an idea of Rabastan's whereabouts. 

Walking around, Ophelia remembered Spinnard's journal. He was busy with his own stuff and then his filthy brother and his companions turned his life upside down. One single moment changed Spinnard's life and perception of people completely. They made him a recluse, a man nobody wanted around and he got to the point he started to believe that too, that he wasn't meant to live among others. Ophelia sighed and leaned against the first wall she found. Looking around, she realized that her feet brought her to that place. If she opened up her mind, she could literally see the story unfold before her eyes. 

 _I wanted to get away so I thought to myself that they wouldn't follow me to the Shrieking Shack._ Well, it was definitely close- not even 100 feet from the alley she was in.   _And then suddenly, green light! It blinded me, that's how powerful it was and when I opened my eyes, Eilian was dead._ Ophelia could see that, she had seen it before after all; someone dying.

"Life is so fragile, isn't it?"

Ophelia shuddered at the voice. She couldn't even look at him although she could feel him coming closer to her. He stopped a foot from her right side and breathed out, making her swallow nervously.

"Nobody believed an introvert like Luce; ever. I did though. I could see the power into his eyes and how loyal he was to those he cherished."

"Like Peverell. They were best friends."

Tom sighed loudly, making Ophelia uncomfortable. It sounded like she said something that deeply offended him.

"Peverell was an incredible wizard from a long line of pureblooded Gryffindors. He had potential and he wasted it all on emotions." he started off nicely and by the end of the sentence he seemed pissed. "Emotions, Ophelia, do not matter. They fluctuate, they make you weak and break you slowly, piece by piece. Emotions give you strength but also takes it away just as fast. What you must understand is that nobody remains loyal to you if you do not force them to. Fear can make wonders," he whispered to her, leaning towards her neck as he grabbed her chin and made her look straight into his eyes, "Don't let emotions fool you, my daughter. Your future promises so much, you don't want to disappoint your father, do you?" he literally hissed like a snake, his eyes dilating as if he was going to attack her. 

"No, I don't want that. But I don't want to be afraid of you either."

Saying those words out loud might have not been such a good idea but it made Tom chuckle. It was an odd sound. 

"If you were afraid of me, you wouldn't have told me such impertinent words. Don't lose focus on your studies, Ophelia. Don't lose focus on your future." he advised before he vanished. Ophelia could still feel the coldness on her face but tried to regain her senses. 

"What are you doing?" 

The girl looked up and met Nott's dark eyes. He was by himself, fortunately, but he was staring at her as if she was a ghost. Feeling a bit awkward, Ophelia shrugged.

"I'm walking. I'm allowed to do that, aren't I?" she used sarcasm in order to cover the tension she felt just a minute ago.

"Who were you talking to?" he asked as he moved closer to her spot, "And don't lie. I saw him. He was hissing something to you." 

"Who was?" she asked, looking at anything but the boy.

"The snake."

"What snake? What are you talking about?" she asked, growing annoyed with his persistence.

"Right there! There was a snake hissing into your ear! I saw it with my own eyes! And you answered. You're a parseltongue. You can speak with snakes." Nott continued, blaming her for stuff she knew she couldn't possess. 

"I-" she stopped, knowing she had heard a snake talk before; always the same one. "Believe me, it's not that."

"Then what is it?" Nott seemed very agitated as he straightened himself up and looked at the Gryffindor with a lot of curiosity. "You tell me, Molley. Why are you taking dark arts and why were you at Malfoy's house?"

Ophelia looked into those dark orbs but couldn't find her words. There was so much to lie about and he has seen more than she would have liked, especially that Bellatrix incident. While she was fidgeting, something shiny caught Nott's eye and quickly grabbed it so he could see it up close. His eyes widened and harshly pushed her against the wall.

"What is this?" he growled.

"A ring,"

"A green serpent on a silver ring. Do you know what it means?! It's a Slytherin symbol. You're not even a pureblood and this is-" he couldn't even spell out his emotions. He was confused and suspicious and angry because someone so unworthy seemed to crawl easily under Lestrange's skin.

Nott was grasping her hand roughly and it started to hurt which automatically made her panic. But one look into his eyes, one clear look and she could finally see why her father was so adamant on avoiding emotions at all cost. Nott was either jealous or furious and both were emotions. He was acting upon those sentiments, letting himself be led by them and naturally, swayed by them. One blink and Ophelia easily penetrated his mind, seeing what he has seen. There was no snake but there was a cloaked figure with eyes that scared him. There was no hint who she was talking to except the danger emitted from that cloaked man. But what Nott heard was parseltongue and for some reason she could understand it but she did not speak the language of snakes. She saw something else which she could use in her benefit. Letting him go, she looked into his eyes once more and realized how close he was.

"Augustus, by any chance, do you fancy me?" she asked in what was the most calm voice she could muster. It was as if she became another person and his anger backfired in an interesting way.

"Wh-what?! N-No! Stop making a fool of myself Molley!" he stuttered as he let her go and backed away. His cheeks looked like they were two tomatoes before he ran away. 

Someone chuckled from the side as they watched everything from around the block. 

"Well, isn't that something to look forward to,"  

* * *

The rest of the trip was not as interesting. Ophelia returned to the castle by herself and was met with a very bored Remus Lupin. He waved and smiled at her when they met in the Entrance Hall and joined her for dinner. 

"No love potions or chocolate for you, Remus?" she asked bluntly, making him laugh.

"I don't see you holding anything either." he answered, making her look at him with wide amused eyes. "Where did you go after Honeydukes? Cissney thought you went to meet a secret admirer but nobody believed that."

"Why not?" she asked, feeling a bit annoyed, "Can't I have a secret admirer?"

Remus' expression was not convincing which made Ophelia scoff.

"As a matter of fact, I do have one. But I will keep his identity for myself."

"Shouldn't he be a secret from you too?"

"Not when you are good at getting into people's minds." she said that without thinking twice to someone who wasn't Severus. When she realized what she has done she stopped and looked into the warm eyes of her friend, "Let's not tell anyone about that." 

"Your secret is safe with me." he said with a smile on his face yet there was a mischievous glint in his eyes.

"And yours with me." she added, in a way telling him that she could easily blackmail him if he'd kiss and tell. Remus raised an eyebrow, curious what she was talking about until his face paled. 

"How-What-" he was speechless. "What secret?"

"Don't worry wolfie," she whispered as she leaned towards him so passer byes won't hear. "I'm good at keeping secrets so please keep mine too." 

Remus was surprised by how Ophelia was looking at him with her long green eyes and for a moment he could swear he was talking to a completely different person.


	60. Friends Indeed

"Stupefy!" two boys said at the same time, both getting hit right in the chest. One fell back against the ground and the other straight against his classmate.

"Seriously? It's the third time in one hour!" whined the red head, helping her partner up while giving Potter a nasty glare. "Are you alright Remus?"

Remus groaned as Sirius helped his friend up with a frown of his own. Three hits in the same place and it was probably going to bruise.

"I'm fine! It's not like it hasn't happened before," mumbled the boy, feeling the pain much worse since his body was already covered in bruises and scratches. Besides, a full moon was approaching in March which was making it hard to keep calm and avoid conflict.

"Why don't you try for once to be sympathetic with the people surrounding you? We have our own duels, in case you have forgotten. We're here too." Lily continued, feeling very frustrated because she knew the boys were hearing her but not listening. 

Da Fu seemed worried by the commotion at the Gryffindor corner but he couldn't stop when they only had 30 minutes left and had to empty the classroom. Not many club members seemed to mind though, because it was the third time in a day and probably the tenth time in one month. 

"Ever since the lovers paired up, it's been catastrophic. Why can't they tear them apart already?" asked  a Hufflepuff girl named Roxanne. 

"Maybe you should have paired up with Sirius," Frank told Ophelia, letting his guard down.

"No. That would have been too annoying," she mumbled before she whispered, "Expelliarmus," however, she didn't use it on her partner. Just as fast she mumbled, "Ducklifors," and the dark haired Black became a dark haired duck.

Potter's eyes widened before he started to laugh so loudly that it drew everyone's attention. Ophelia rolled her eyes and with a subtle twitch of her hand -just like Mr. Potter taught her- she silenced the loud mouth. His eyes widened even more as he started to freak out, suspicious who could have done it.

* * *

"So, Remus, how did you like your first month of dueling? You came a bit late in the year but Lily can teach you everything you missed." 

"Don't listen to Alice. You didn't miss anything. Spinnard's detention was far worse." Potter retorted, finally able to speak after an hour of silence. On the other hand, Sirius was still a duck which freaked Da Fu out which as a result called for a professor. "I'm really curious who was the one who used a transfiguration spell on Sirius and muted me!" 

It was hard because the Slytherin option was out. Was it a Hufflepuff or a Ravenclaw? Maybe a Gryffindor? But that meant it was one of his own mates. Potter's eyes traveled on every figure at the table and for a moment his eyes laid on Ophelia. She wouldn't, would she? But maybe it was Remus himself or even Lily...

"Everything is allowed in love and war, James. You were distracting the whole classroom." Ophelia started, sensing his suspicious gaze on her. 

"Was it you, badge? Did you betray me so?" he asked with a posh accent, "I thought we reached a point of loyalty and respect in our friendship." he continued, making everyone roll their eyes.

"That's what you get when you change partners," she said, admitting it was her. Potter gasped dramatically before he pointed his fork at her.

"I challenge you to a duel!" he said, or more like impersonated a knight ghost. "What do you say, witch?"

Ophelia watched him ramble on about loyalty but really, he was talking gibberish. Her eyes fell over Remus, who seemed a bit anxious before she turned to Lily and Alice who started to talk about something else and eventually on Frank, who was eating next to Pettigrew. He became quiet only when the doors opened and his best friend ran in.

"Mate! You're fine!" Potter exclaimed, pushing Frank a bit so Sirius could stay next to him. "You won't believe who betrayed us and transfigurated you into a duck! It was badge!" the glasses boy added.

Sirius turned immediately at Ophelia, who luckily was on the other side of the table. She didn't look up at the boy but munched calmly on her food. Even after dinner, she could feel Black's heavy gaze on her back. She hoped nothing will happen but then someone grabbed her hand and pulled her aside and she knew what was coming.

"What are you doing?" Sirius asked, confused why she suddenly froze and closed her eyes. 

"You're going to pay me back for changing you into a duck, aren't you?" she asked, opening one eye.

"No. Yes, but not by transfigurating you into something. I need your help with some minor detail." 

Ophelia raised an eyebrow, suspicious what he meant...until they ended up hiding in the kitchen corridor. Her back hurt because she was crouching against the wall while Sirius was next to her, but taking peeks around the corner, his eyes set on the stairs towards the dungeon. 

"Who are we spying on?" she asked, playing with her fingers since nothing was happening.

"My brother. Gryffindors are bulling him for some reason."

"Maybe because he's a Slytherin and the hate is common." she mumbled, making him turn towards her with a glare.

"It's not that. I know Regulus and he's not the best at defending himself." 

"How do you know that? Maybe you should let him live his own adventures and misfortunes. He doesn't seem to want your help if you're spying on him." the brunette said in a tone that pissed Sirius off.  

"You don't know him. You don't know how we were raised and what our lives are like."

"No. But I know that always going to your brother will only create more reasons for him to get bullied by both Gryffindors and Slytherins. You should just let him be." 

It looked like Sirius acknowledged her advice, and even considered it to be right, but Regulus walked up the stairs and a group of Slytherins followed, teasing him about the same thing Ophelia mentioned. 

"What will you do if we don't leave you alone, huh? Will you go cry to mommy Black? or even go to your filthy brother? I'm sure he'll do anything for his wittle bwother Regulus," a boy the same year as Regulus taunted his victim. The others joined in but none physically hurt him, only words. But that seemed to cause more pain than a punch or a jinx.

Sirius watched with his heart clenched and sighed, falling back into his hiding spot. The taunting wasn't loud enough for the whole castle to hear but it particularly loud into his ears. Seeing how affected he was, Ophelia leaned her head back and closed her eyes, getting comfortable. It was better for Sirius to hear and see everything himself mostly because he was the reason behind Regulus' suffer. 

Having her eyes closed, with nothing to think about at the moment, Ophelia fell asleep. 

_This time, she found herself in a house. It wasn't hers and it wasn't Lillian's but it still felt like she has been there before. The furniture was old and overused in the corridor she was in. The walls were full of pictures rather than paintings and a lot of them were with people she had met. She walked closer to those she recognized and tilted her head aside in confusion. Peverell was in every picture except one: Lillian and her daughter. But looking at the bigger picture, literally, she could see a young student in Hogwarts growing into the man that Lillian relied on. She saw the Peverell from the pictures, from Spinnard's memories, from Cerberus' memories and the Peverell she could faintly remember by herself. A man with bright red curly hair, with green eyes and a wide dimpled smile that would make one feel safe._

_Sudden noises grabbed her attention and she walked towards the stairs. A door opened and closed quickly and then she heard the voices._

_"What an unexpected visit. I never knew we were so close as to know where each other lives, Tom."_

_“A wizard like yourself, living among muggles; you ended up being a disappointment to pure bloods.” Tom answered in the same cold voice Ophelia knew so well._

_“We can’t all be perfect, can we?” Vernon's voice did not tremble at all. It was as if the man wasn't scared what could happen._

_Sounds of steps and shuffling gave Ophelia an idea of what was going on at the moment. She took a few steps down the stairs in order to hear more._

_“You know very well why I am here. She’s been gone for 7 years already and I wouldn’t mind it so much if it was just about her.” Tom continued, sounding very relaxed as if he was speaking to a friend._

_"Of course, Lillian is nothing but an accessory you can easily get rid of. You’ve always done it with people: use them and dispose of them afterwards. I’m surprised you still have a few followers from school.”_

_Ophelia looked down at her ring with a knot in her belly. That might as well be true._

_“There will be more when I will make myself understood. We have to stick together, you and I. We’re heirs of strong pure blooded families.” Tom spoke, proud of his heritage._

_“You’re going to drown in your ego one day. You’ll definitely meet your match and he’ll hurt you where it hurts the most.”_

_“Enough with this charade!” Tom yelled, “Tell me where Lillian is and you can return to your generic life.”_

_After a few second of silence, Ophelia heard the answer._

_“No.”_

_There was a pause in which Ophelia could feel the tension between the two men. She took a few more steps down and hid behind the door towards the room they were in. She could finally see bit through the gap between the door and the wall._

_"Where is Lillian?" Tom asked once more, taking a step towards Vernon. "Do you believe that I don't know why you're protecting her, Vernon? You are so obvious and pitiful. You expect she will fall in love with you. Those are just lies. I know her Vernon. She is part of my blood." He hissed, his voice fluctuating with the information he was throwing at Peverell._

_Vernon sighed and looked down at his feet._

_"It's not about Lillian anymore." Vernon muttered._

_Tom raised an eyebrow, his eyes set on the pitiful wizard in front of him._

_"Love is not for wizards like us, Vernon. Love makes you weak." The dark wizard hissed._

_"That child-" Vernon started, "-that child is your daughter. If you kill the mother you will curse her entire life."_

_Tom watched Vernon for a few minutes before he started to laugh loudly. Ophelia felt her legs give in at the evil sound._

_"Very well then."_

_With one elegant sway of his wand, Tom had Vernon pushed up into the air by an invisible force. The dark wizard walked towards him calmly and forced the redhead to drink some liquid. Vernon spat it over Tom's cloak but with another sway of wand, Vernon was immobilized. Tom forced some liquid down his throat and waited patiently._

_"Now, where is she? Where is Lillian?" Tom asked, visibly calmer than before._

_Vernon tried his best to keep his mouth shut but his mind had the answer. Tom stared at him for a while, looking at him as if he was searching deep into his soul. When he got the answer he wanted, Tom's eyes darkened before he pointed the tip of his wand at Vernon. Those green eyes turned towards Ophelia, as if he knew she's been there the whole time and he whispered Expecto Patronum but nothing happened. He was telling her that for some reason._

Ophelia woke up in the Common Room, on a few cushions put together in the far corner, away from the window. She rubbed her eyes and took a look around, curious if Sirius carried her or something happened again. Light snoring made her tip toe to the couch in front of the fireplace and she saw Black sleeping there in an uncomfortable position. Feeling a bit of remorse, she used the levitating spell in order to get him in his bed -which was far easier than she imagined- and then she went in her room. 

"Expecto Patronum," she mumbled, still intrigued why he told her that instead of using it for himself. Besides, what was with that dream? She was sure it wasn't from her father so then, who entered her mind so easily?

* * *

February passed fast and March came around. It was mid-month and Cerberus was still talking about werewolves. On the other hand, during Astronomy, their professor wanted them to further investigate the significance and aftermath of a full moon. If Remus didn't know better, he'd have believed his professors were hinting at his condition. There was nothing to be done anyway, he had to go hide in the Shack once again and induce self harm in order to keep the others safe.

Which brings the view over a very personal discussion in the garden, before Care of Magical Creatures. 

"So, I was thinking maybe we should try it tonight." said Potter, looking at his three friends warily.

"Are you sure? What are we supposed to find anyway?" asked Peter, fidgeting nervously at their plan.

"Look, we all have noticed Remus has been disappearing at certain moments during the month. The full moons. Don't you think it's suspicious?" Sirius asked, moving into a more comfortable position against the tree. Peter was on his feet and Potter was leaning upside down on a branch. His face was red but he seemed alright.

"It's impossible for him to go on secret dates every full moon. If that would be true, then he's a real romantic. But we all know that's not the correct answer. Every time he comes back the next day, he's hurt. He spends a lot of time recuperating yet his body's still full of bruises. So we, as incredible friends, will see it through."

"What exactly will we see?" asked Peter, his voice cracking.

"A werewolf," Sirius said enthusiastically, scaring the chubby boy even more. 

"What if he'll eat us? Or worse, kill us? Or worse, bite us?" In Peter's view, it was bad enough to have a werewolf friend but spend time with him- that was another level.

"He won't. He's our friend." Potter said before he jumped down. "And we are his friends and we won't let him hurt himself anymore."

Those were big words for a 14 years old wizard but Potter was a stubborn and confident boy. Therefore, around midnight when they heard shuffling and steps down the stairs, they put their plan into action. Firstly, they were going to follow Remus to his hiding spot and then- well, they'll see when they'll face the werewolf.

They were careful enough so they wouldn't get any disruptions in Remus' routine but they still kept close to the boy. They followed out the castle and towards the forest before they stopped near the willow.

"He''s going to get blown way by a branch," Peter mumbled, not ready to watch that happen.

"I doubt that. Look who's down there too."

Sirius was right. Madame Pomfrey helped Remus get into what looked to be a hollow at the base of the willow. Once the nurse left, they hurried down the same way. Peter was slower and less excited so he did get hit by one of the branches, hitting him against his bottom and pushing him harshly down the stairs.

"Don't make any noise," Potter scolded the chubby boy while helping him up.

The transformation must have started while they were in the passageway because they heard a loud scream that made all of them stop for a moment.

"We should return to the castle and-" another scream followed by a growl made Peter swallow in fear before continuing, "We should talk to him when he's human."

"No. Let's go," Potter was adamant on helping his friend and gain his absolute trust.

As they got closer to him, the growls and howls became louder and painful. The boys frowned and walked faster, almost running. They walked up some stairs and reached a door. Sirius was ready to open it when Peter stopped him.

"What if he kills us?"

"Nobody forced you to come along, Peter. You can go back but James and I will be there for Remus, no matter what form he has."

Sirius sighed and pushed him back. He opened the door and entered first, followed closely by James. Peter sighed but didn't move from his spot.

As they got further into the house, Sirius looked out the window and noticed how familiar everything looked. And then, he realized exactly where they were.

"James, mate this is the Shrieking Shack. The passage connects it to Hogwarts. That's brilliant." He whispered, his eyes gleaming, "I can't believe we never thought about it. Haunted building, yeah right. He added yet no reply, "Blimey, James, why are you so silent when-oh,"

When Sirius turned around, he realized James wasn't there. The dark haired wizard walked towards the stairs when he heard a very loud and angry howl. Next thing, James is running down the stairs, grabbing Sirius on the way.

Something big and hairy stumbled down after them. Sirius couldn't believe what he was seeing while also being dragged back into the passageway by his best mate. Peter was still at the door when he caught sight of the two boys and most importantly, the werewolf running after them. The chubby boy screamed and closed the door after his friends before running to the willow. They made it in time but still it gave them quite the scare.

"What now?" Sirius asked, leaning on his knees in order to regain his breath.

James looked at the willow thoughtfully. Maybe he should do his homework with attention this time, both in DADA and Astronomy.


	61. High Above the Ground

Ophelia loved going into the library to study, especially for History of Magic, a subject she could barely stay up in. But there were other subjects that seemed to grow on her and she actually started to look more into it; for example Astronomy. It was fun now that it was getting warmer and they could use the Tower. Compared to last years, they had a lot more practical courses which was making studying easier. 

Everyone would gather in the library to do their homework too, except Potter and Black, who'd prefer to do it in the last few moments. Yet not today! Even Slytherins were watching Potter warily, thinking that he was planning something with all those books surrounding him. 

"Is he genuinely studying?" Lily asked, sitting at the cursed desk with her friends.

"He has books on Transfiguration, Potions, Astronomy and DADA. That's quite a lot for one day." Severus started, putting his book aside for the moment.

"You mean the first day. You never know what he'll do tomorrow." Ophelia mumbled, uncovering her eyes for one moment  before covering them back. She had a slight idea why he became so interested in those particular subjects but it was better to see how far he was willing to go with it.

Surprisingly, the next day during lunch before Charms, Ophelia went into the library to search for a book about vampires. It was interesting how Cerberus found a vampire and convinced him to actually come over during a weekend so that students could ask their curiosities. As soon as she entered, she found Potter having a whispering fight with the librarian.

"But I need it~" he whispered yet the lady was stern with her answer. "It's about life and death. I'm not joking," he continued, stomping hit foot like a brat. 

Ophelia waited patiently for him to give up, which took another five minutes, and grabbed him aside.

"I didn't know you liked books so much, James." she started, her eyes sparkling with curiosity. 

"I need one from the Restriction area. It's about animagi. We've been covering this subject in Transfiguration for the past few months. I don't understand why I can't read further about it."

"Why?" she asked, confusing the already frustrated boy.

"Why what?"

"Why do you want to know more about animagi? We can barely transfigurate a mug."

"Says the person who made Sirius a duck and has been succeeding at every transfiguration this year." he stated sarcastically, leaning on his right foot while raising the opposite eyebrow. Ophelia blinked innocently knowing he was right. Training has helped her greatly, even if not right away. Besides, the dark arts lessons were going smoothly for someone who had to learn and defend herself at the same time.

"Fine. I'll help. You go to the librarian and go on about stuff and I'll grab it." 

Potter kept his expression as he watched Ophelia have a long look around before she sneaked towards the restricted section. He waited a few seconds before he did exactly what she told him to. 

"Get out of here, boy! Come again and I'll inform the headmaster of this lack of manners." she exclaimed, pushing the boy out after what felt like an hour. It wasn't- it was probably ten minutes but felt like infinity for the student who was rambling about rules and discrimination against Gryffindors. 

And yet when he was out, Ophelia was already there. 

"I came out a few minutes ago but I felt like I shouldn't interfere in order to make everything realistic." was her reply, which annoyed Potter but it passed when she handed him a dark arts book. "It's not exactly dark arts but more like spells not suited for students. It has a chapter about how to become an animagus. You're welcome."

"Wait, how did you take it so easily? Isn't there some kind of ghost that alerts everyone if you take it without being allowed to?"

Ophelia scoffed, feeling her pride as a dark arts practitioner kick in. It wasn't the first time but it was the only time she really felt superior to her friends, especially James Potter. 

"You know, Molley, I was actually thinking of going along with what you said before and teach you how to properly fly. What about Saturday morning? Are you still up for it?" he asked, seeing how she didn't say anything anymore on the way to Charms.

"Sure. I'd love that." she answered, her smile so wide that it reached her eyes. 

They continued to talk and laugh and by the time they arrived in the classroom, everyone stopped to look at them. James sat next to Remus in front of Peter, Sirius and Frank and Ophelia went to seat with Lily. Her green eyes followed the boys as they started to whisper between themselves about the book. Well, except Frank and Remus who seemed clueless. 

"Those boys are planning something," Cissney mumbled from the side, having her eyes on them too.

"Have you talked to Zabini yet, Cissney?" Ophelia asked, grabbing her wand, "He seems to be an honorable student. But he'll leave soon and you won't have another chance." she added, looking at the dark haired student council member.

"I have another year." she mumbled grumpily.

"You have one year left. But luckily, next year we'll have one less Lestrange." Alice said, getting a sound of agreement from the rest as Flitwick entered the classroom.  

* * *

Saturday morning came around and Ophelia started to have second thoughts. Potter woke her up at five sharp -on a weekend!- and didn't shut up until she followed him to the Quidditch grounds.

"I don't want to learn how to play Quidditch..."she said before anything else, just to state the obvious.

Potter laughed, making the girl nervous. Two brooms were laying in front of them and Potter made use of his. Ophelia raised her hand over the broom and it flew into her grasp before she got on. Suddenly, things became difficult.

"How do I control this?" she asked nervously, feeling the broom gain altitude. "Merlin's name, I can't touch the ground with my feet anymore," she added, holding tightly onto her broom.

"Oi, Molley, look up at me!"

She couldn't. She could only look at the ground and how far it was. Her hands started to tremble and sweat which made her grasp loosen. 

"Molley! Stop looking down!" he screamed at her, seeing how she was rapidly freaking out.

"I can't! What if I fall?" she screamed back.

"You're losing a lot of nice sights if you only look down! Come on, look at me!" 

She felt someone grab her shoulders and straighten her position, making her look at him. Potter flew next to her and sighed, getting uncomfortably close to her. His brown eyes were the same as his father's, his brown hair was messy because he must have not had the time to brush it and overall, he looked handsome. It was quite the discovery but James Potter was growing into a handsome young man. Once he let her go, she leaned forward to catch his hand.

"I'm going to fall," she said, keeping a strong hold onto him. 

"Fine. Get behind me. I need to show you how beautiful is to fly." 

Somehow, Ophelia managed to move on his broom without falling and once behind, she wrapped her hand tightly around his waist. If she was going to fall, she won't go down by herself. Potter laughed away, going higher and higher before turning to the castle. It was indeed pretty and as he flied around the Quidditch grounds, going through the Quidditch holes at times, Ophelia started to relax. 

"Not bad, is it?" he asked while still facing forward.

_"Not bad, is it?" An older man asked the girl standing in front of him. They were on a broom and the little girl was amazed by how high they were. "We're flying above Clifden, Ophelia. Isn't that amazing?" he asked, smiling widely as he looked down into her green eyes. "When you'll get older, I'll teach you all the tricks you can do on a broom. I'll make you the best flier out there!"_

Ophelia frowned, remembering something she pushed in the very back of her mind. Potter glanced at her over his shoulder since she didn't respond and saw her distressed.

"Do you want to get back?" 

Ophelia nodded, her mind growing fuzzy. As they lost altitude, she became even more confused.

_"Expecto Patronum!" The man with a warm voice moved his wand and a dragon formed right before her eyes. It was huge and it started to fly around them, making the girl clap her hands happily. She looked up but couldn't see much because of the sun shining brightly behind the man. She could only see red hair; messy red hair._

Ophelia got off the broom faster than Potter imagined and she moved away from him, leaning on her knees while breathing heavily. Messy red hair...it could only be Peverell. But did that really happen or was it someone again, inducing strange memories into her mind. Yet, that seemed like her own childhood memory in Clifden, where she lived with Lillian.

Potter watched her with worry, thinking that maybe he scared her or even worse, traumatized her. He had no idea. Not yet, at least. 

* * *

There was only one person who could answer her truthfully and that person was dead. She had to ask someone else and for some reason she avoided going to Cerberus. She needed someone else, someone who even if he lied, she could still read between the lines. 

"Ophelia, what brings you here?" Dumbledore asked in his specific I-knew-you-were-coming style. 

"There's somebody entering my mind."

"And who might that be?" he asked, knowing one invader was Tom. It seemed like she knew that too yet she didn't seem bothered by it.

"Someone who loved Peverell. I doubt is Cerberus...maybe, maybe it's Lillian?"

"Lillian has died a long time ago. What makes you believe there is an invader?"

"Well, I see things that I haven't witnessed. Like-" she stopped, thinking it through. She wanted to tell Dumbledore yet she didn't want him to bother with her personal problems. She sighed, unable to roll the words out her tongue. 

"What if these memories are trying to tell you something? To unveil the mystery."

"Peverell loved Lillian and although he was just as good as Tom, they were complete opposites. Peverell made mum happy but she still loved dad more than anything." she explained what she discovered in these three years.

"I do not think that's the answer. Lillian never appears in these memories, does she?" asked Dumbledore, raising from his seat and walking around his desk in order to stand right in front of her. Ophelia looked tired and he could only guess what was keeping her alert all the time. He was no fool; he knew what was happening in his dungeons.

"It's Peverell mostly..." she mumbled, rubbing her neck in annoyance. That ginger man was infuriating. "It's so strange,"

"What is?" asked the headmaster, raising an eyebrow at the frown on her pretty face.

"Potter...I was looking today at him and for a moment, he was Peverell." she explained, still a bit confused.

"That's a question I can answer to. The Potter family has roots in the Peverell ancestry. Just like you have in Slytherin's."

Her eyes widened and the puzzle finally caught contour. 

"Mr. Potter received a letter too, didn't he? From Peverell...telling him to keep an eye on me; keep me away from my father."

Dumbledore didn't have to answer. Ophelia already figured all the people Vernon Peverell had sent letters to.

"Potter, Knowingall, Spinnard, Dumbledore and the half giant Hagrid. What a diverse group of trusty men." She mumbled as she wrote each name in her notebook. It was really late at night and she was the only Gryffindor still up in the Common Room. "Peverell was entrusted with taking care of Lillian so he stayed back, fooling everyone that he was working here. But he couldn't see what she was doing outside Hogwarts, during the time she spent with Tom. She got pregnant by her...cousin," that was one hard statement to write down. "Peverell was hurt but still protected Lillian. Just what was so precious about her?" She wondered, taking a break from writing. "Why would two of the best students that graduated from Hogwarts return for her? Why did Spinnard have to sacrifice himself? Is there even a higher reason?" 

There were many questions and no one really gave her the answers she wanted. But facts were facts and be it the result of an incestuous relationship or not, Ophelia was alive and well. 

"M-miss?" 

Ophelia raised her eyes and jolted in her seat at the sight of a house elf standing on her notebook. He jumped down and fidgeted as he started to stutter.

"Is there something wrong, Dylis? How did you even get here?" 

"M-master Knowingall is in grave danger, Miss."

Ophelia frowned and hastily got up, surprising the elf.

"What do you mean? Cerberus is here at Hogwarts." The girl hissed, her eyes narrowing at the creature. The colour of her orbs must have probably been accentuated by the light from the fire, making her look a lot like her father because Dylis gasped and jumped back in fear.

"T-That is the p-problem. Dylis has eavesdroped as master instructed and has heard Aeron Lestrange talk to the Dark Lord about it."

"What did they say exactly?"

"There is an illegal animagus in the castle and he must be eliminated." Dylis answered, "It seems he has gotten too close to Miss Ophelia. The Dark Lord wants him dead."

Now, how could she face herself in the mirror if she would let her father kill her guardian and DADA professor...


	62. By Any Means Possible

"Are you sure it's Cerberus?" 

"Is there another illegal animagus in the castle?" He asked genuinely curious.

"No. But judging by Potter's rising interest in Transfiguration, there will be." she mumbled to herself while starting to pace around. "How long does it take for one to master the animagus form?"

"Only the potion takes a few months to prepare. Dylis can't be sure because it depends on each witch and wizard." He answered, calming down now that he told her the news. "Dylis will follow Miss Ophelia no matter what decision she will make. Miss saved my life." He added looking up at her with big blue earnest eyes.

"No one else will die because of me. Especially not Cerberus. Go and warn him."

"Oh but Dylis has already informed Master Knowingall."

Ophelia froze as millions of thoughts came together into one conclusion. That's what he has thought about himself ever since he arrived...a sacrifice.

It was no surprise when she barged inside his office at midnight, making a lot of noise.

"Do not think for one second that I'll let you die!" She screamed.

Cerberus was writing a letter when he jumped in his seat, spilling ink over his parchment. He looked at the furious girl with wide eyes before he actually asked.

"What?"

Ophelia scoffed and stomped to his desk. It was messy.

"Dylis told me. Dad wants to kill you." 

Cerberus raised an eyebrow thinking what to tell her. She seemed fired up so that was nice in a way. 

"I'm flattered you care enough to barge in here and scold me but I'm safe. Hogwarts is the safest place in the world." Cerberus explained, sitting back down. "You don't need to worry about me. I'd like if you'd worry about yourself and your grades."

"I'm getting good at everything except Potions and Herbology." 

"I noticed. A duck came running to me and I had no idea it was Black until McGonagall changed him back." Cerberus answered chuckling to himself. He also wanted her to relax and think carefully of what she was doing, which seemed to work.

"They were disrupting the rest during the dueling club. But he seems more bothered by his brother rather than what I did. He's suffocating poor Regulus with his protection and all."

"Sounds familiar," Cerberus mumbled taking another piece of parchment, "Exams are coming soon. You should study."

"Only if you promise me something." She said, thinking about her decision, "If staying by my side becomes dangerous, you leave. You are not going to sacrifice anything for me." 

Cerberus glanced at the black kitten and smiled softly. The fluff ball was listening closely to their discussion and seemed content with Ophelia's personality. 

"Deal." He said and shooed the student out.

* * *

"Now, I want everyone to listen to me. Victor is a vampire but he's also a person with emotions, some more powerful than others, so I want you to be civil. Do you understand?" Cerberus asked, his owlish eyes moving over every third year student from every house. It was burdensome to have all of them meet the vampire at once but there was no other way.

"How did he even find a vampire to come willingly and respond to childish questions?" asked Black, slightly impressed by his professor.

"Just because he's a creature of the night doesn't mean he's a savage." answered Lily, scoffing at Sirius' prejudiced impression of vampires. "Not all dark creatures are monsters." she added, hitting a very touchy subject for the boy. He glanced at his brown haired friend and sighed. 

"I guess you're right, Evans."

"Well, isn't that a first," whispered Cissney rolling her eyes.

As soon as the door to the Great Hall opened, every student turned to look at the vampire. In all truthfulness, Victor didn't look different from any of them. Ophelia swore her father looked more dangerous than this vampire and Tom was still very handsome in his own dark way. Victor was a middle aged man with deep dark circles around his eyes, skin as white as milk and hair that could rival Lucius' if it wasn't for how greasy it looked. Actually, Victor looked like he needed a shower and a vacation. 

They kept their eyes on the vampire until he arrived next to Cerberus and both men shook hands before they turned to the children. Victor's eyes were very dark, even more than Tom's and Ophelia had seen those snake-like eyes red at some point. It seemed like a lot of thoughts were running through his mind as he looked at each and every student. His eyes lingered on Remus a bit more and a smirk, very subtle but visible, appeared on his lips.

"What's wrong?" she asked Remus seeing how the boy was staring at the vampire with intensity.

"He knows." Remus mumbled, still feeling those dark eyes on him. 

That answer must have been heard by Potter too, who was on Remus' other side because he suddenly straightened up as if he wanted to protect his friend from whatever evil creature was around. 

"This is Victor and he's a vampire. You can ask him anything as long as it's respectable. Do not make a joke of this meeting. Everything discussed here will be in your exam." Cerberus informed his students, suddenly everyone taking the matter more seriously.

One by one, students raised their hands and started to ask almost everything they read in books. From questions about how to become a vampire to what vampires eat when they can't have blood, to how they live their day to day life and if they ever feel discriminated or they enjoy solitude. All kinds of questions popped up and Victor willingly answered all of them with patience, making Cerberus smile contently to himself.  And then James asked his curiosity, which had nothing to do with education.

"Why did you accept to come all the way to Hogwarts just to answer to stupid questions? I'm sure people have been staring at you, making remarks about you and your lot. I'm sure you knew they would so why did you risk and came nonetheless?"

It was one of those rare occasions when Potter was surprisingly mature and elegant. Of course, that questions raised the tension in the hall and students started to whisper to each other their theories.

"A very good question, one that has a very simple answer, Mr.-"

"Potter, sir. My name is James Potter." he added with pride.

Victor smiled although he visibly tensed, his eyebrows furrowing even if he tried not to. 

"Well, Mr. Potter, I came because your professor asked me. He told me it will not be a waste of time, that what I will see at Hogwarts will amaze me. I was honored by his invitation. " Victor answered elegantly. "Anything else you'd like to ask, Mr. Potter?"

James frowned and shook his head but he still wasn't seeing the vampire in a good light. There was something else there, he didn't travel so far just for some petty students. 

* * *

"I swear, that vampire is not here just for us." Potter stated again in the Common Room.

"Professor Knowingall wouldn't have brought him in if he was dangerous." Lily replied for what felt like the seventh time already.

"He's a vampire, though. What if he messed with Knowingall in order to be asked to come?" asked Peter, trying to back up his friend. "You never know."

"It's not only professor Knowingall but the headmaster too that invited him. I don't think Dumbledore would ever put us in danger." Alice added, fully trusting the head of Hogwarts. "It's Saturday and Mr. Victor must have traveled from very far. We should be thankful since he makes studying easier. His answers were far better than a book." the girl added, taking her quill and getting ready to do her DADA paper on vampires.

"What do you think?" Potter turned to Ophelia, the one person that didn't say anything yet. "Do you really believe that vampire?"

Ophelia did wonder about him too. A vampire came after Dylis informed her about Tom's plan. But they already knew a vampire will come so it's not like Cerberus was stupid enough to let himself be messed around with, especially since he wasn't a bad Occlumence. And yet, her father could manipulate people in very diverse ways.

That was one problem that could be explained only later in the night, during the dark arts lessons. It wasn't a surprise that she met Nott there, right in front of the entrance. He blushed and rushed in before she could say a word, already seeing her eyes glint with amusement. It was hard to control it around Slytherins with how pent up they were. 

"Good evening, Lucas." she greeted Mulciber when she passed him. The boy scoffed and glared at her but didn't dare touch one strand of hair from her scalp. Why? Well, something happened during one Saturday around the beginning of March. Something that raised a few questions in the Slytherin common room.

_"Stupefy!" was heard loudly in the Room as Avery flew straight into Severus, both falling on the ground. "That's how you do it!" Mulciber exclaimed._

_Ophelia was surprised and helped Severus up, also reaching for Avery but he pushed her hand away._

_"I don't touch the filthy hands of a mud blood." He said, glancing at her hand. But then something shiny caught his eye. "What is that on your finger, Molley?"_

_Nott looked up, remembering how he asked the same thing back in February. He watched as Severus grabbed Ophelia's hand and held it down, covering the ring._

_"It's not important."_

_"Really? Why, did you give her a present, Severus?"_

_The boy looked at his friend before he looked at his classmates. He didn't want weird rumours to spread in the castle but he knew it was important to keep her identity hidden._

_"I did." Lucius stated, gasps of surprise and shock filling the Room. Narcissa Black was there too but she didn't react in any way. "Anything else, Avery?"_

_The boy glared at Ophelia but kept his mouth shut. That didn't mean he kept his mind shut as he started to swear and curse the Gryffindor. Lucius walked over to Narcissa and told her something before the elegant seventh year took Snape's place._

_"I hope you duel well," threatened the blonde._

_"I hope you do too." Answered Ophelia in a tone that would have pissed off Bellatrix but not her younger sister._

_It was definitely something to watch as Ophelia showed not only good dueling skills but also elegance and simplicity in her technique. Rabastan couldn't help but feel proud of her. Nott's eyes widened as his heart started to beat faster at the sight and there was Mulciber who wasn't watching the duel but Malfoy. The blond man couldn't keep his eyes off Ophelia and even covered for her. He sent his future wife to her aid which again was too much of a bother for a mud blood Gryffindor._

_After the lesson, in the Slytherin dormitory, Mulciber waited for Avery and Nott before he started,_

_"Molley's become a real pest. It feels like we're being ignored whenever she participates in the dark arts lessons."_

_"That's pretty much every week," Avery commented sitting on his bed. "Rabastan and Lucius are watching her like guarding dogs."_

_"She's always surrounded by people, even in Hogsmeade. Our plan had to be interrupted after Zabini found out and told Potter. Huh!" Mulciber scoffed, yet he couldn't confront him just yet._

_"Zabini is Lestrange's faithful friend, remember? And Rabastan has been very lenient with Gryffindors these past three years." Nott added._

_"Ever since he started tutoring Molley. Isn't that suspicious? There must be a reason why that mud blood has them in her palm."_

_"We can't enter Molley's head, I tried before. But we can use a different way. One that will hit deep in the Gryffindor house." Avery started, smiling evilly as the plan started forming in his head._

_And from that point on, Mulciber started to act as if Molley wasn't a burden anymore; he simply ignored her even if he did want to curse her now and then._

_Sunday morning, while Slytherins were taking breakfast, Avery slipped into the first years' bedroom, expecting young Black to be there by himself. As expected, Regulus was having a hard time because of his older brother but Avery had a way to help him._

_"What are you doing here?" Regulus asked having the same glint of defiance in his eyes as Sirius._

_"Don't need to be so rude. I'm here to offer you an opportunity to become one of us. You only have to do one simple thing." Avery went straight to business, not wasting another moment of his life._

_"What's that?"_

_"Act as our informant. It's a small favour to which in return you will receive the place you deserve in the Slytherin house. After all, you are a true Black, aren't you? A true believer in the Dark Lord and his ways."_

_"And who do you want me to get information about? My brother?" asked Regulus, already annoyed that older students believed he was easy to manipulate._

_"Molley. Do whatever you need, befriend her, stalk her, use whatever manner you find proper and find out who she meets, where she spends her free time, what she fears, what she likes to eat, every little detail of her life."_


	63. Regulus Arcturus Black

Regulus has never had any friends and the only person he really talked to has always been Sirius. Although they had different personalities and different ideas regarding family and blood, they never had a serious fight over anything.

And then Sirius was sorted into Gryffindor and circumstances changed. At home, Regulus would only hear his mother curse the day she brought Sirius into the world. Being proud of his house, Sirius only amplified their mother's frustration and anger and Regulus found himself set as an example to his older brother. 

When Regulus was sorted into Slytherin, he felt relief. He wasn't going to disappoint his blood lineage and he was going to spend time with children of the same environment as him. 

"Hello, I'm Reg-" 

"I know who you are. Your brother's name is famous around here. I pity you, Black." That was the answer of a mere second year who wasn't even a pureblood and yet he pitied Regulus.

That encounter repeated the next day and the next and the next and Regulus found himself lonelier than when he was at home. He started to hate being the younger brother of Sirius Black and as each day passed, with him getting bullied by everyone really, he started to notice her. Ophelia, the Gryffindor that was rumored to be interested into the dark arts.

She was standing at the table with a book in her hand, reading a muggle story while eating cereals. She was by herself since it was Monday morning and Gryffindors were preparing for the final Quidditch game against Ravenclaws. It seemed like Slytherins opted to lose and concentrate on their late night lessons, trying their hardest to gain a spot in the Dark Lord's army. 

"You've been staring for a while. Is there something you want to ask?" 

Regulus couldn't remember the last time he was approached by someone else without having Sirius' name thrown at his face.

"I was thinking," the boy answered, caught in the act.

"Regulus, right?" she asked, easily sitting across him even if it was the Slytherin table. "Are they still bullying you? Or have you finally cursed them all?" It didn't sound like she was joking.

"It's fine." 

Ophelia stared at him, tilting her head to the side as she watched the boy with those snake-like green eyes. She could have entered his mind, find out the truth and choose if she wanted to go on and act as if she didn't know or expose him there and then. But she didn't.

"Sirius is being a pain isn't he? Even when he's not there, his mere existence burdens you."

"You have no idea," Regulus replied grumpily, feeling frustrated by his so called favour that could give him the peaceful student life that he wanted. 

"He is a very loyal friend. Are you loyal too, Regulus?" 

"As you see, I'm not surrounded by an unlimited number of friends." He said sarcastically, knowing his position in school.

"Then let me be your first friend." Ophelia stated as she grabbed his hand and shook it. She smiled at the younger boy, her eyes sparkling mischeviously. 

Did she know what intentions he had or was she genuine? Their friendship begun with doubts rather than trust.

* * *

"So, what do you like to do, Regulus?" 

"Nothing much." He answered in the same grumpy manner. "I have to go to class. Professor McGonagall hates when we're late." Regulus added before he ran off.

Ophelia remained behind, a bit confused by how fast he moved. It reminded her of the first time she met him, when he was running from his classmates. Taking a look around, she noticed Avery's bright coloured hair against the wall. He was supposedly listening to something his mates were saying but his eyes shifted on her, darkening in colour when their gazes met. 

Regulus ran up the stairs and into the corridor, making sure he couldn't be seen. 

"Are you alright?" 

Looking up, he met the kind brown eyes of Remus Lupin. Great, a friend of his brother's. But at a closer look, Remus looked worse than a student -bullied or not. Half of his face was scratched and he seemed sick.

"Shouldn't you ask yourself that? You look like you need a break." Regulus didn't intend to sound so venomous but he couldn't control himself. 

Remus froze as the dark haired boy walked past him, towards his classroom. If only he could be so confident all the time, his life would be a lot easier.

During Transfiguration, Regulus couldn't shrug off the feeling that his worst enemy- Eilian Crockford, first year Gryffindor who looked so much like an improved version of Snape- was planning something. Regulus felt eyes fall on his head and sighed, preparing himself for what was to come. A piece of paper flew straight on his desk. Opening it, Regulus sighed. It read: _let's hang out after class, Reggie._

Nothing happened until the end of the lesson when Regulus lagged behind his mates. Even McGonagall watched the boy with suspicion since he was moving very, very slowly. 

"Are you planning on staying here until our next class on Thursday, Mr. Black?" The professor asked, pushing her glasses further on her nose.

"No. Sorry, professor." He mumbled, walking out of there with a heavy heart. 

Once outside, he barely made it to the stairs when his legs became jelly and he fell down the stairs like a ball. He didn't miss one step until he stopped on his face. He still couldn't move his legs and students started to point and laugh but Eilian's high pitched laughter seemed to be louder than anyone else's. Regulus looked down at his legs and searched his robe for his wand. However, when he found it, he realized the curse was lifted already.

"Need a hand?" 

The boy looked up at Ophelia and gave in. 

"I thought you said you're doing fine." Ophelia commented sarcastically, helping the boy on his feet. "Anyway-" she couldn't even finish her sentence because a group of three Gryffindors came down the stairs, one of them staring at Regulus with a cocky smirk.

"See you after dinner, Reggie~" the tallest boy from the group exclaimed as he passed them.

The rest of the week passed like that, with Regulus spending little time with Ophelia in the morning before getting busy with his own studies and troubles. It seemed like she was a normal witch with a normal background and normal hobbies. He was truly worried because there was nothing to report to Avery. Except, during the Easter break, which was a mere week, he caught her whispering to herself in the library. 

"You should tell Sirius about your bullies." She said, surprising him because he thought she didn't see him coming. 

"My brother bullies Slytherins the same way Crockford bullies me." Regulus replied, sitting at her table in the library. "I don't need his help. Exams will come soon and then I'll go home."

"And what will happen when you get home and your parents see you so shaken up? Your mother will overreact." 

"He's a muggle born anyway."

"So why not curse him? You're a Black aren't you? You have learned dark arts ever since you opened your eyes." 

Regulus raised an eyebrow, taken aback by how quick she thought about revenge. She raised her head from her book and stared into his eyes. It was unlike any other time a person looked at him; her eyes were tinkling with this darkness that she wasn't even aware of. It felt like that darkness was reaching towards his soul, grasping it tightly with the intent of making him fall at her feet. 

"What's this boy's name anyway?" Ophelia asked calmly.

"Eilian Crockford." He answered, taking a peek at what she was reading. It was probably a muggle book because had never heard of the Grimm Brothers before.

Ophelia narrowed her eyes at the sound of that name. Well, at least she could pay back one Eilian out of two. One was dead and one was about to be terrified. 

* * *

"What exactly will you do? I mean, he's around and he's a Gryffindor and you're a Gryffindor. Won't it be troublesome for you?" Regulus was having second thoughts seeing how her whole demeanor changed. "I'll just curse him later on. That sounds better." 

"With a brother like yours, who's willing to stalk you just to know you're not harmed, I doubt it will work." she spoke in the same tone as early in the morning. It seemed like Ophelia from the library was partially gone and the usual, common Ophelia surfaced but one close look at her eyes and he knew she was going to keep her word. 

"I don't need a guardian."

"True. You need some courage. Don't let them take you for a fool, Regulus."

"Wait...why are you even helping me? Because of Sirius?" Regulus stopped and felt very offended by her sudden act of kindness. "Did he, by any chance, put you up to this? Did he sent you since he knows I'll run from him?"

Ophelia was silent for a moment before she turned to glance at him over her shoulder. She was just a few centimeters taller than him but it was enough for Regulus to feel like she was looking down on him. 

"Mulciber's been very interested in me lately, hasn't he? Avery and Nott too. I was wondering why they suddenly stopped throwing curses and swears at me and then I saw this little lamb, scurrying away in his dark corner, hoping to disappear. Life can be difficult, especially when your family's pushing you towards greatness but maybe you should allow yourself to be a true Black."

"What's that supposed to mean?!" he screamed, taking a step back. She was scary.

"Sirius is Sirius and you are very different, Regulus. If you want to be loyal to somebody, choose the one that can help you reach greatness. Choose the one with the power to protect you."

Her voice was lower and hissed at some point. Regulus' eyes widened when she fully turned to him and took another step back. She was strange- no, she wasn't herself. Her eyes narrowed so much and her pupils dilated, as if she was ready to attack him. Her face paled and her body seemed to have grown taller. She leaned towards him and Regulus got succumbed into her green orbs. He saw snakes and power; an immense surge of power. If he ever believed Ophelia Molley was common, that opinion has crumbled at his feet quite rapidly. 

"Who are you?" the boy asked, fear creeping up his body. He couldn't help but notice his trembling hands. 

"Fear is an amazing tool, Regulus." she hissed, "Fear can give you what you desire. It can give you power over those who dare try submit you." she finished just in time.

Three Gryffindors walked towards them, talking loudly about Quidditch. Regulus glanced at them before he turned to Ophelia. He frowned when he noticed she looked normal, even a bit baffled to be sincere. She barely faced Eilian and the boy turned to Regulus with fear. Eilian swallowed nervously as he kept the distance from him. 

"Mate, that's Reggie. Shouldn't you do something?" another Gryffindor asked.

"Would you like to say that again? Should I inform Wood that his precious first years are bullies?" Ophelia interfered in her usual voice and with her usual bluntness. The Gryffindors frowned and shrugged their heads before they continued on their way at a faster pace. "Now, Regulus, what was I saying?" she looked innocent as if she didn't lecture him a few seconds ago.

"What did you do to Crockford?" he asked genuinely curious.

"I altered some memories of your meetings. Not much and not many; just enough." she answered, "I'm a good legilimence."

Regulus was worried but at the same time he was intrigued. Just who has he talked to today? It wasn't Ophelia, that was for sure but whoever that was, their power was limitless.


	64. The End of Another Year

Ever since Regulus had seen that darkness in Ophelia's eyes, his will to find all there is about the witch increased. However, for the next weeks Ophelia acted normally.

There was a reason for that: exams. The period of exams was approaching and Gryffindors seemed particularly studious. Lily and Remus were first to enter the library and last to leave it in the last week and their notes were going around the common room like fire.

"So, Monday is Transfiguration? We begin with all that information about animagi?" Frank whined. He was laying on the couch with one leg hanging over the back of it and one hand under his head, looking like he might start reciting from Casanova any minute now. If only he knew about it.

"Potter is ready for it. Has been for a while, am I right?" Cissney asked, raising an eyebrow at the messy haired boy.

"If only I could say the same about Potions and History of Magic," he mumbled, copying down Remus' notes in Care of Magical Creatures. His writing was horrid and his notes were undescyphrable.

"Have you heard?" Arthur Weasley barged inside the common room with Wood. They were both rambling about something.

"We haven't heard anything. Do inform us," Black started from his seat near the chimney.

"Victor the vampire will be involved in the DADA exam for third years and he will also be watching OWLs and NEWTs." Arthur explained with a frown.

"See? He didn't just come to have a chat." Potter screamed from across the room, yet not taking his nose from the notes.

* * *

"Have you been informed too? About the vampire, I mean." Ophelia asked Severus later that night, during their spontaneous Occlumency lesson.

"He'll be present during our DADA test, yes. Slytherins believe it's an improvement."

"How so? Cerberus has planned a hard and practical exam anyway."

"But he will also watch over OWLs and NEWTs which are exams that make a difference in the lives of students and their futures." Severus added before he flinched, "That hurt!" He hissed, feeling like a rock dropped on his forehead.

"Sorry. It's been harder to control myself ever since-" she stopped and glanced at Severus with innocent eyes.

"Ever since what? What have you done?" The Slytherin asked with a tinge of expectation.

"I was worried for Sirius' brother since I've seen him  being pushed around by everyone and briefly took a peek at his mind. It seems Avery made a deal with him and now he has to keep your dormmates up to date with my life."

Severus frowned but after a long and distressed sighed, he took a break from occlumency.

"That's because of Malfoy and Lestrange. It's too obvious they give you prefferencial treatment whenever you come to the Room." He explained, having heard Mulciber talk about it before.

"But they will leave soon enough. It's Malfoy's last year and Rabastan is a sixth year. What then?"

"You tell me. I'm sure your father has already planned your future for yourself."

For some reason, that statement -although it might have been true- made Ophelia very uncomfortable.

* * *

Transfiguration ended up being harsher than students imagined, having to transfigurate other stuff except explaining what an animagus is. During Charms, Cissney might have overdone her partner, which was Lily. Potter had never seen Lily laugh so much in all their academic years. And there was Herbology and Care of Magical Creatures, where Ophelia let her partner, Frank, do most of the job while she pitched in here and there. Occlumency was a fun exam but it left Cerberus with no energy at all, or will to continue next year. Actually, Gryffindors seemed prepared for whatever was to come, passing every exam with both flying colours and less than acceptable grades.

And then came Defence against the Dark Arts. Cerberus was incredibly happy with his plan which was not taken as a good sign by his students. Not after he has been mopping around all day Wednsday.

"So, all you have to do is answer correctly and a golden snitch will guide you towards your next question. As you approach the classroom, you will see that questions become harder. Once you reach me, you pass. Simple!"

"And what are the levels exactly?" Asked Frank, growing worried with what he had learned so far.

"You begin with what's easier, at the starting point in the Entrance Hall. Then you go wherever the golden snitch takes you to. I have enough snitches for everyone, don't worry."

"I don't think that consisted a problem. More like, do we really have to run from one place to another?" Cissney asked, feeling tired already.

"Anyway, you can go. Choose whatever snitch you want and never take your eyes off it. It would be troublesome if you suddenly followed someone else's guide. Now, begin!" He exclaimed, happy he'll just have to wait silently in the classroom.

"Last year was that Scavenger Hunt for points and now it's this...why can't we have silent exams?" Cissney complained on her way to the hall.

"Like the one in History of Magic?" Black asked sarcastically but she nodded, "Blimey, when did you become so boring Littlewood?"

"When she fell in love with a stiff sixth year." Lily mumbled to the others, making them chuckle. Cissney blushed but tried to ignore her friends.

* * *

Ophelia chose a random snitch, one that looked very old yet it was zooming around like it has never been used before. Unlike Pettigrew's, which was so slow even she could catch it in the air. But they were on the ground and the snitch led Ophelia outside, in front of the willow.  A Hinkypunk appeared before her and seemed to direct her towards the willow. She ignored it, having already seen where that was going.

Next was the Quidditch pitch which was full of puddles, some deeper than others. The snitch flied across the field and waited there. Ophelia sighed and looked carefully at the puddles. There was a grindylow somewhere. With no other choice, she just went for it. She was half done when she felt something strong wrap around her waist and pull her into a deep puddle. She wasn't sure where exactly was the grindylow so she screamed Incendio!, a powerful jet of fire going in every puddle thus letting her finish. 

"Could have done it differently, badge!" Potter said. He was rather ingenious although the whole point of the puddles was to shrug off a grindylow: Potter flied over the pitch on his broom with a winning attitude. 

Ophelia rolled her eyes and followed her snitch to the castle. It led her down in the dungeons, towards an office that looked like it could use some improvement. It might have been used for storing furniture at some point and now there was only a huge dresser. The snitch flied in front of the dresser and the door opened. Unfortunately, someone ran in front of Ophelia and the Boggart took the form of his fear.

"Ridikulous!" Screamed Sirius, his brother's image changing into something else. "Move faster, Molley!" He screamed as he ran out after his bright snitch.

Ophelia turned to the Boggart and met the snake. It was huge with eyes that reminded her of her father's. But that wasn't what scared her; it was the words.

 _"You can understand me. You're a parsletongue, Miss Gaunt."_  

Ophelia gulped, pointing her shaky hand at the snake. It swayed closer and almost smiled at her.

"Ridiculous!" She screamed and the snake's mouth sewed shut before he exploded. 

The snitch left the dungeons and led Ophelia into the Great Hall where she barely pushed the door open when she heard Potter's loud voice resonate through the walls. 

"I was right! You are nothing but a vile creature!" 

"I'm afraid I do not understand your point, Mr. Potter." Victor answered elegantly. "Don't you have an exam to finish?" 

"I saw you right now! And I have kept an eye on you ever since you arrived. I'm not an idiot, you are not here for us but for something else." Potter explained, pointing his wand at the vampire.

Victor noticed Ophelia at the door and smirked. He turned to Potter and took a few steps towards the wizard.

"Just like your ancestor, aren't you Potter? Protecting your friends even when you know they keep secrets from you. For example, the werewolf." 

Both wizards froze in their spots. They both knew who he was referring to so they both knew it was better if the vampire kept his mouth shut.

"I don't know what you mean," replied the wizard, tightening his grip on his wand.

"Then should we wait until night falls and the moon rises? It's a full moon tonight." Victor threatened with an evil glint in his protruding eyes. 

Ophelia narrowed her eyes at the vile creature but didn't act just yet. Something small approached her and sat in between her legs, getting a view inside the hall. 

Potter raised his wand at the vampire with a glare.

"Don't make me do it,"

"Do what? Curse me?" The vampire started to laugh loudly, annoying both students.

Ophelia's hand was trembling as green fire formed in her palm. The kitten looked up at her before he meowed and ran to ask for reinforcements. But the witch remained and couldn't believe it when the vampire's eyes gleamed as he actually hissed at Potter. 

"Don't mess with a demon, Potter. You might get bitten." 

Ophelia's eyes darkened as she heard another hiss and the door opened loudly but not by her.

"What's going on here?" Cerberus barged in. He glanced at his student before he turned to Victor. "We had a deal. You do not attack any of my students and I close an eye to whatever else you do." 

"But I haven't done anything yet, Knowingall." The vampire explained as if he didn't just throw threats. "On the other hand, this young boy has been troubling me." 

"That's not true! Professor, this vampire is a liar and he's been stalking the Gryffindor tower! I heard Wood talk about it!" 

Cerberus turned to Victor expectantly but the vampire hissed and launched at Potter. It was so fast that he succeeded in scratching him but the bigger blow was taken by Cerberus. Victor grasped his neck and threw the wand aside. 

"Stu-" 

"If you dare attack me, I'll bite him." 

Ophelia felt her whole body tremble and with a sneer on her face, she stepped inside the hall.

"Finally showing your face, I see." 

"Let him go." She said calmly yet her face seemed to change a bit.

"Molley get back or-" 

It was odd but with one swift move, she had Potter unconscious on the ground. He was only sleeping, nothing big, but the vampire laughed at her.

"A true Gaunt. A true dark witch, just like your parents. I have been watching you, Ophelia. I have watched you play with your colleague's mind." He said, his grip on Cerberus loosening.

"So?" 

The vampire chuckled. Seeing how it was the best moment to attack, Cerberus turned into an owl and started to scratch Victor's face. To his misfortune, the vampire grabbed him by his neck and grasped it before throwing the owl against the wall. Ophelia glared at Victor and hit him with a curse that she never used on someone before.

"Imperio!"

The vampire fell back but that didn't stop Ophelia. She attacked again and again and again until Dumbledore's loud voice echoed through the hall.

"Enough!" 

Ophelia had her back turned so Dumbledore couldn't see her face. McGonagall followed closely and gasped at the sight. 

"Oh my. Albus..." she started her eyes falling on Ophelia's back. "Albus..."

While Dumbledore dealt with the vampire, Potter and Cerberus were taken to the hospital. Ophelia followed McGonagall silently, still feeling the aftermath of her anger.

"I'm sorry, professor." 

"There's nothing to be sorry for, Molley. You only protected yourself and your classmate." she said sternly.

"I didn't want him to see me like that. I shouldn't have made him faint but James is so bright and I am...like my father." She added feeling like she might start to cry.

"You're not your father, Molley. You decide who you will become." McGonagall said softly, feeling like she was talking to Lillian.

"I don't think I have a choice anymore."

Again, that answer was the last McGonagall received from her favorite student.


	65. A Shadow Lurking in the Dark

"Who sent you here?" 

The room was cold and very dark, just like Victor enjoyed it. The headmaster's office felt like a torture chamber with every painting watching him carefully. But that was nothing, as a vampire he was already used to it. 

"I was invited by you, headmaster." The vampire answered, shifting on his chair. He had been taken while partially unconscious and put on a chair in the middle of the room. 

"And what exactly were your plans when you arrived?" Dumbledore asked.

"No plans." He answered with a pleased look.

The paintings hummed, all with different expressions on their faces. It was so intriguing seeing how everyone was so involved.

Dumbledore sighed and with a quick look at the former headmaster, he turned to the only window in the room. The curtains opened only a bit, but the light was enough to touch his feet. 

"Fine! Fine I did come with a purpose!" He screamed seeing how Dumbledore was only widening the ray rather than diminishing it. "The animagus!" 

"Mr. Knowingall?" 

"No. The other one. Peverell." The vampire hissed with hatred. "I was supposed to find him."

"And what then?" A former headmaster asked expectantly.

"Take him to Lestrange. But we both know what was going to happen from then on," the vampire chuckled evilly, "Now, close the curtains!" He ordered, his elegance crumbling at his feet, same with his pride.

But Dumbledore did not. He retreated to his desk while a very dedicated house elf fully opened the curtains and even opened the window.

"Fresh air, sir?" The creature asked calmly even though the screams of agony were far louder.

Once the vampire turned to dust, Dumbledore smiled at the elf.

"Thank you, Dylis." 

The elf smiled widely and nodded, ready to do anything for his employer. Dumbledore smiled back, his blue eyes sparkling in the light of the twilight. 

* * *

Ophelia was confused if she should stay by Potter's bed or Cerberus'. In the end she chose her guardian since he was seriously injured compared to sleeping beauty. 

"Why isn't he waking up?" She asked madame Pomfrey, grabbing the owl man's hand. 

"He's resting. The blow was harsher because he was in his owl form. He's been very busy ever since he returned to Hogwarts. It's better to let him sleep how much he wants." 

"Does he have a family? A wife, children?" Ophelia asked seeing how Cerberus seemed like a family man.

"No. He's dedicated his life to protecting you." 

"But what about before me?" 

"I played Quidditch. Also, I'm not a family man." He answered, a painful groan following after. 

Madame Pomfrey helped him lean against the pillow and gave him a potion for pain before she retreated to her office. Potter was still in deep slumber which let Ophelia speak freely.

"You're hurt and it's all my fault. What if the vampire was actually here to kill me?" 

"He wasn't. If anything, his orders were not to harm you." 

"So you believe father sent him here?" 

"Actually, it is my fault. I knew vampires aren't trustworthy with how many discussions they had with Tom but I wanted you to have hand on experience." Cerberus explained flinching when he moved a bit. "Potter is very perceptive, isn't he? And very persistent. He saw right through the vampire's noble facade." 

"A bit like Peverell, hm?" 

Cerberus' eyes widened but he laughed softly immediately after. 

"So then, what was his real mission? What was he searching for?" 

"Dylis already informed you."

"But there is no other animagus in the castle." Ophelia stated.

"Not an animagus, no. A cursed being, forced to roam around in order to reassure himself that he had made the right decision." 

"What?" She asked, confused.

"You have met him. A black kitten with whom you have interracted several times already." 

"A black kitten..." she mumbled as she forced herself to remember.

A black kitten did appear in her dreams, leading her from memory to memory. She's seen a lot of moments that she couldn't have witnessed when she was young and all of them had the same main subject.

"So he didn't die? He's just cursed to be a pet?" Ophelia asked not at all shocked by the information. After everything that's happened in the last months, nothing could surprise her anymore. 

"He's always been around, watching you, protecting you." 

"I don't need his protection. I'm fine." Her tone took a change, sounding more like a child her age rather than an adult.

"Are you?" Cerberus asked genuinely worried for her well being.

"I can't hate him, Cerberus. I know the whole world probably wants me to hate him and they must have good reasons. But he is my father and he gave me what I have always wanted: friends. Maybe they do it just to save themselves from a gruesome death but Tom gave me this! He gave me this life, he gave me Spinnard's cottage, he gave me purpose, he gave me Hogwarts. What would have happened with me if he wasn't my father?" She asked, her respect for her father shining in her eyes.

"You'd be happy. You'd have a family." He said.

"Or I would have nothing and still live in an orphanage, far away from magic." 

"Dumbledore wouldn't have let you alone in an orphanage." Cerberus added, assured of that fact.

"Dumbledore wouldn't care about me if my father wasn't Tom Riddle." 

That was partially true, even Cerberus had to admit. She'd still have Hogwarts but her life outside the castle would be different. 

With exams done, and with the whole castle informed about what had happened in the Great Hall, everything came back to normal, in a way. Potter woke up the next day and he seemed confused. Every student was questioning him but his answer was always the same. It wasn't that he didn't want to tell them, he would have loved to boast, but he just couldn't remember. 

"It's all a blurr." He said and Ophelia believed him. 

* * *

"And so another year ends and we will return to Hogwarts in september and there will be no Malfoy and only one Lestrange," Cissney started with a happy sigh.

"The better Lestrange." Alice added, she too feeling like the darkness was slowly lifting off Hogwarts. 

"I like Malfoy...he's never bothered with us. He's been busy for most of the year. I feel like Rodolphus wasn't even around much." Ophelia replied, having known where they both went during the year.

"Well, it doesn't matter anymore." Lily added with a smile. "Ah, I should go see what Severus has planned for the summer." She continued and left, making Ophelia's hand twitch. 

"Those two are inseparable." Cissney joked before she grabbed a book from her trunk. 

"Are you trying to learn something new to catch Zabini's attention?" Alice asked, chuckling to herself when Cissney's cheeks reddened.

"Shut up," the girl mumbled and hid behind the pages. 

Alice turned to Ophelia but the girl suddenly rose and walked out. Truthfully, the green eyed witch needed some time alone. It was nice having friends but it was nice spending time with people who knew the real her too, like Severus for example. But he was far too concentrated on Lily, which both annoyed and made Ophelia feel happy for both of them. She never had a best friend and Snape felt like the one but it seems that may not be the case. So then, there was no best friend for her. 

"Oh, Ophelia!" 

The girl looked up and saw Remus, waving at her with a smile. Well, there might be another candidate. 

"Finally suceeded in running from Potter?" She asked jokingly but the boy sighed. That was hard with how possessive was the glasses boy. "You know Remus, next year, if you want I can help." 

"What do you mean?" He asked innocently. The girl gave him a serious look which made the boy frown. "Oh. _That_. You don't have to help with _that_. I'd only end up hurting you." 

"Last time **I**  hurt **you**. I followed you out of curiosity and I gave you that harsh wound on your back. I'm sorry." She apologized although she did it to save her life back then.

"You don't have to! Really, just keep it to yourself." He said, lowering his voice so nobody else could hear. "Headmaster Dumbledore helped me enough as it is. It's fine." 

"Who did it?" She asked, finding herself curious about that bastard. "Who bit you?" 

"I only know his name is Greyback. That's all...he's very dangerous, Ophelia." 

"It's not like I'm going to run off searching for him. It's fine Remus." 

"I know." He said before he laughed it off.

Ophelia wouldn't go off looking for someone when he might end up being lured in by Tom anyway.

Arriving at King's Cross Station, Ophelia got off the train with a heavy sigh. There was nobody to wait for her at the end of the ride back home. Cerberus was probably still in hospital and her father must be busy with whatever he does. 

"Why so disappointed, Molley?" 

Black was the last person she wanted to meet at the moment. He was behind James and Remus, trying to push back as much as possible the meeting with his parents. 

"Not as disappointed as you will soon be. I think I saw your mum." She retorted, gaining a nasty glare from the boy. 

"Now, don't fight before the summer break. We won't be able to see each other much for three months!" 

"No~ James you said we'll meet whenever I need a bit of help!" Moaned the long haired boy, wrapping his arm around Potter's neck. "Are you seriously planning to cheat on me?" 

"My father sent me a letter right before we left. He said we'll be visiting a member of the family this summer and we'll stay there for a month." 

"A family member?" Remus asked curiously.

"Yeah. It seems they live a bit far from the city. My father said to think about it as if it's camping." 

Ophelia couldn't help but feel suspicious. Her home was far from the city and if Peverell is the black kitten then he must be where Cerberus is...thus...was Potter talking about her house?

* * *

Night was the time imagination could run wild, especially in the case of children. The shadows had a way of confusing people into thinking there is more than what the eye sees.

Or not. 

Magic is wonderful and complex, it is also dangerous and fearful but most of all, it isn't real in the minds of muggles. That fact does help, fake magicians also empower the secrecy but there are moments when one can see beyond the fakeness. Those moments are usually troublesome for the ministry, especially when they are uncontrolled and random. It happened before, in the United States and it happens now too, in Wales. 

"See, Charlie? Nothing under your bed. I scared the monster away." The father told his son even if that wasn't true. He only briefly looked under the bed.

"Are you sure?" Young Charlie asked pulling the covers close to his face.

"Trust me. Now go to sleep." The father insisted with a smile. He turned off the light but left the door open so the child won't feel isolated. 

With the father gone, Charlie put his head on the pillow and closed his eyes. Barely five minutes passed when he decided he should check for the monster with his own eyes. He leaned over the edge and looked under the bed. Everything seemed alright so he went back to sleep. Once he was deep in slumber, a shadow that seemed to have been lurking around his dresser moved very slowly towards the boy. It lingered by his side for a moment longer before it turned to the window. Something was whispering to him, maybe the wind. The shadow stood there listening when Charlie opened his eyes and looked straight at it. The child screamed and the shadow made a quick escape on the window.

Once on the street of the small village, the shadow took a clear form, one of a man a bit older than Lucius Malfoy but with the same long hair pulled up in a ponytail, skin whiter than snow and eyes black like coal. He looked out of this world, tall and elegant yet the passing years could be seen on his body. 

"Who's there?" He asked, his voice so deep that even in total silence you could barely hear it. 

"It's been a long time, my friend." 

The beautiful man rolled his eyes and turned to the elder that happened to be his acquaintance.

"I didn't know you came to Britain. I thought you said you will never return." continued Dumbledore.

"I was bored. Besides, even in the United States there are rumours about the shadow lurking in the dark alleys of England. I came at the request of my former duel partner."

"I also have a request from you." Dumbledore added calmly making the beautiful man chuckle.

"I was wondering when you'll say that. You know Dumbledore, I'm only going to stay for as long as I have an interest." 

"Then I expect you to stay for a while longer." 

* * *

"Excuse me but, what are you doing?" 

Ophelia woke up in morning after a very realistic dream about snakes. It was bad enough that she's been having it for a month already and the end was always the same: the snake was attacking her. And now Cerberus was being all proactive when usually he'd drink until early in the morning and sleep until lunch.

"I'm cleaning." He said, swiping the hallway.

"Why aren't you using magic?" 

"Because I'm making an effort. Now please go and throw out the trash." He instructed, wiping his forehead of sweat. He was growing tired and his physical condition wasn't what it used to.

Grumpy and with long strides, Ophelia complied and threw the garbage in the bin outside the cottage. People would rarely come by so she was curious if there was a car picking it up or something.

From her place, she could see the beauty of the countryside. It was so peaceful compared to the city and the air was fresh. She could understand why Spinnard lived here and why he gave it to her. 

Nothing was in sight, nothing but a car that was approaching from distance. It was moving fast towards the cottage and Ophelia remembered what Potter said in the train.

"Great. He really meant this place."


	66. Like a Wall and Like a River

"Potter! I was expecting you at dinner!" Cerberus was very loud when in the presence of his friends. "Come in, come in! You too James!" He ushered them inside with a large smile.

"Wait- is Knowingall part of our family?!" James asked, not yet grasping where he was.

"No. He is a friend of mine." Mr. Potter explained while dragging their luggage behind. "This house is alive, James. So don't burn it down." He added, glancing knowingly at his son.

Once Ophelia saw the car, she ran inside and hid in her room. The paintings upstairs were sleeping and when she passed by she made a lot of noise. 

Cerberus laughed and noticed the owner of the house was missing. He walked to the stairs and screamed as loud as he could.

"Our guests are here! Come down and greet them!" 

Ophelia hissed in her little tent on the bed. Sometimes she'd wonder if being always in danger wasn't better for the owl man than having such a free life. 

"Maybe I should go to dad," she said but she quickly shook her head. "Better not. I want to have fun." 

Seeing how Ophelia was not going to show her face, Cerberus turned to young Potter with an evil glint in his eyes. 

"Would you mind waking her up? She's been very lazy these days." Cerberus lied easily. Mr. Potter shook his head disapprovingly but let his son choose for himself.

James took the chance and ran up the stairs, his loud steps sending a chill down Ophelia's back. He was approaching rapidly and for some reason it was worse than a snake attacking her.

But for the young Potter, the house was simply odd. It reminded him a lot of Hogwarts and how it seemed sometimes like the castle was messing with the students. But this house was so elegant and wary, it was nothing like the place he imagined he will go. 

And there were the portraits upstairs, all very alike which meant they were all part of the same family. None looked liked Cerberus, they looked more like Sirius' family to be sincere- except the eyes, they were all blue eyed people with black hair. 

"Hey," 

Since their meetings was unavoidable, Ophelia decided to confront her worry and just go with the flow. Better to surprise him than the other way around.

"Oh, hello badge." Potter shrugged her off and kept his eyes on the most strict woman he has ever seen. 

"You do realize you are in my home," she added coming to stand next to him.

It took another few minutes for James to fully comprehend what she said. In that moment of enlightenment, the boy turned to her with eyes so wide that they looked bigger than his glasses. 

"Your house?! Then are these your relatives?" He asked in awe.

The first answer came from the portrait- an offended scoff- whose eyes narrowed at Ophelia. It was only a scoff but it hit the young witch in her pride. 

"Her name is Melissa Spinnard. We're not relatives." She answered throwing a quick look at the strict woman yet partially understanding her point of view.

"Spinnard...as in former professor Luce Spinnard?" 

"Right. She was Luce's grandmother." 

"But I thought you said that this is your house," James added, growing confused with how much new information was thrown at him. 

"It is. Spinnard left it to me as inheritance."

Now, Ophelia knew what she did and with how perceptive was Potter, it was natural for him to piece the two together and come up with a conclusion. 

"What happened to him?" 

"He was murdered in cold blood," she answered, avoiding further details. "It seems he has been involved with a very bad wizard."

"There's a lot of them lately," Potter mumbled, "But still, were you two so close? I remember he hated you more than anything." 

"He did. But he loved his friend just as much and loyalty forced him to stand by me." 

Clearly there was more to the story than she was telling him and it wasn't a surprise since Potter knew Ophelia. She actually opened up quite a lot compared to what he would have expected. 

"Um- excuse me?" 

Both students turned to the stairs where a clean and nice dressed house elf was blinking its huge glossy eyes at them.

"Miss, master Cerberus said to come downstairs." He informed the two before he popped away.

"You have a house elf?" He asked, following her down the stairs.

"Cerberus is not his master. Dylis is a free elf." 

It seemed important for her to mention that detail, especially because she freed him from enslavement. 

"Does Knowingall live here too?" 

"He's my guardian." 

Hearing that particular title, Potter froze mid step and almost lost his balance.

"Your life outside Hogwarts is really not what I expected, Molley." 

In the kitchen, Mr. Potter and Cerberus were chatting about their affairs. 

"Have you told her about Vernon?" Asked the younger man.

"She was bound to find out sooner or later anyway. He became bold in what he's shown her so I decided it's better if she is aware of his presence." Cerberus explained, having the hard mission of acting like a guardian.

Mr. Potter nodded, admitting to himself that Cerberus was right. After all, there are bigger secrets than Peverell's current situation. 

"James told me she is very skilled in the art of dueling but he's growing suspicious. It seems Ophelia has a lot of practice and her dark arts talents are surfacing." 

"We cannot stop her from being who she is." Emphasized the owl man. 

"But we can help her figure out who she wants to become. You, my son and all the kids from Hogwarts have been more of a family to her than Tom." Mr. Potter said, obviously seeing the whole matter from a different point than the rest. 

Cerberus sighed and rubbed his forehead, trying to keep a migraine from stopping him drink. He never thought about it but living with a curious teenager was not easy.

When the youngsters walked in, Mr. Potter smiled warmly at his former duel student. She looked happy, dare to say, and her eyes were bright compared to the last time he saw her. On the other hand, his son was disheartened.

"We're not at a relative's house and this is not like camping, dad." James stated in disappointment as soon as he reached his father. He sat down and stared at Cerberus, finding it weird to see his professor so bright and preppy. "Should we even be here when you are my professor?"

"Not anymore. A vampire made sure I quit." Cerberus mumbled, taking a sip of his drink.

Ophelia, on the other hand, understood what 'family relative' meant and she started to search for a small and cute little pet with blue eyes. She looked everywhere in sight and in the end, under the table. There wasn't any pet nor an animagus for that matter. 

"We're here because I need to take care of a few errands and I have to meet an old acquaintance. He cannot be seen in public so-"

"Is it a muggle? Or a celebrity?"  James asked curiously.

"Is it a werewolf?" Asked Ophelia which caused James to throw her a swift glare.

"Is it?" The boy trailed suspiciously, already having doubts what his father was doing while he was at school.

"This particular man is a lot worse than a werewolf." Cerberus interfered, "He's part Veela." 

"Aren't all Veela women?" Asked James completely confused. 

"No. His mother was a Veela and he...he has bigger troubles." Mr. Potter corrected, "He will come tonight, if he does."

"What's dangerous at a Veela?" Asked Ophelia having no idea what that meant.

"Beauty. But with this guy, if he is just as I remember, it's also his personality." The elder man continued with an amused glance at Mr. Potter who was shaking his head, already giving up.

"Why?"

"He's the most insufferable person you will ever meet. Luce was friendly compared to this guy." Cerberus added seeing how both children were immersed into the subject.

* * *

"So, it seems this guy that will come to meet my father and professor Knowingall is something." James started later that day in the living room. He was wandering around, looking at everything while remembering most of the furniture was Spinnard's. 

"Cerberus retired from the post. It seems one year sucked all the desire he had to train children." She replied chuckling at her guardian's childishness. "How is it going?"

"How what is going?" James asked as he eyed a globe in the library.

"Your plan to become an animagus." She continued seeing him tense but still not ready to admit.

"Why would I want that? It's a lot of hard work." 

"Not hard enough if it's to help a good friend. I'm not stupid, James. I know about Remus and his condition."

Potter sighed and turned to the green eyed witch. She was very persistent when she wanted something. 

"How did you find out?" He asked coming to sit next to her.

"I followed him. You?" 

"I followed him."

They looked at each other in silence until they both started to laugh. It was joyous and it echoed through the hole house, waking up the paintings upstairs. They didn't mind and neither did the house itself; it has been so long since youthful laughter filled the halls.

"We are too curious for our sakes. Did you tell him?" Ophelia asked her eyes sparkling.

"No. Not yet. You?" 

"He knows, yes. But I haven't told anyone else." 

"Same. It's me, you, Sirius and Peter. We should help him in any way possible." 

"Pettigrew tagged along? I expected Black but not him." Ophelia added genuinely impressed by the chubby wizard. "Those who look weak make up in bravery, I guess."

"...what about Spinnard? How come no one told us about his death?" 

"It was fast. Cerberus took his place and now I believe this extraordinarily handsome man will be next. Otherwise, why would Dumbledore come too?"

"How do you know he will come?" James asked curiously.

"I don't. I'm only guessing but if he does show up then we're going to meet our new professor earlier than expected." She answered, anticipating the meeting with this half Veela man.

* * *

But the mysterious beauty didn't come that night or the next or the next. Four days passed and Potter was growing more interested in the house and its backyard rather than anything else. Ophelia decided she should use the opportunity and train a bit with Mr. Potter, action that didn't go noncommented by his son.

"Have you two met each other before?" Asked the Gryffindor boy with a raised eyebrow from the side.

"Your father taught me the real art of dueling." She admitted moving out of an attack. "A swift move of the wrist and-" she changed the victim and with narrowed eyes she whispered towards Potter, "Wingardium Leviosa," 

Potter's eyes widened as his feet left the ground and he started to levitate, rolling on his face without a stable weight center. Mr. Potter couldn't help but shook his head with a bemused smirk. James' eyes widened for a brief second before he glared at the laughing girl and crossed his arms in front of his chest as she moved him higher. Mr. Potter shook his head again, retreating into the house since the children were going to take a while.

"Do I look amused, badge?" he asked with a tint of annoyance. 

"No but I am." 

James pouted before he decided to approach the problem in a different way. Thus, trying to at least look dignified, he whispered _Accio wand_ and imagined he's on a broom, balancing himself so he could be standing when catching his wand. Ophelia raised an eyebrow, preparing herself for anything. From the look in his eyes, he was going to pay her back big time.

"Locomotor Weebly!" he screamed but the spell missed without having her move aside. However, out of reflex, she did move a bit to the left. James chuckled and muttered to himself, remembering how she could easily attack him in that position. James pushed the air so he could roll on his back and quickly attacked her, "Stupefy!"

"Expelliarmus!" she defended herself before she too said, "Aguamenti!"

"Expe-" James' face was hit by a thick jet of water, straight in the face; not even if she would have planned it, the jet wouldn't have hit so well. "Expelli-" he was cut short when he fell over his face with a loud huff. 

"Come on, James~ even Severus is faster than you at throwing curses!" 

She knew she didn't use the right example but she wanted him to take her seriously not just another classmate. James pushed his hair out of his eyes and cleaned his glasses throughly before he calmed himself down and breathed out slowly. Ophelia tilted her head and blinked sheepishly before she felt weed grow all around her feet. Roots were crawling up her legs, keeping her in place before James attacked again. She stopped it but he was coming closer to her with new found determination. He glanced all around her, using the surroundings in his favor. He noticed some birds a few feet behind her and quickly said "Oppugno!" and the birds flew towards Ophelia's back, drawing her attention. James chuckled and added, "Stupefy!" and she was thrown a few feet backwards. "Ah Ha! Take that Molley!"

Ophelia needed a moment to register what happened but afterwards she started to laugh while laying on her back, having a lot more fun than she expected.

"You're not in your right mind, I assure you." mumbled Potter as soon as he reached her, "What's so funny?"

Her eyes were shining brightly with life compared to her usual, snake-like glow. While at school she was like a hard wall, impossible to cross or penetrate, at home she was more easy going, she could bend and shape like a river. Looking at her laying body, he realized Ophelia grew quite a lot in height from the first time he had met her and she seemed to change continually. 

"Oi, James, shouldn't you be more subtle if you're taking in my figure?" she asked boldly while she sat up. The boy blushed and stuttered some incoherent words out his mouth but Ophelia laughed it off, "I'm only messing with you. Don't take it so seriously." 

"I'm not but I have to get used to this new playful badge. You're not usually that happy, Molley." he said, helping her on her feet. "Since you're in such a good mood maybe we should try that flying lesson again and- Hey! Don't run! Quidditch and flying are two important skills in life, Molley!" he screamed after her but didn't follow her. Instead, he got this chilling impression that he was being followed. With his wand still in hand, James spun around but nobody was there. He looked at the house and then he turned towards the forest but still nothing; not until he noticed something dark moving as if it was the end of a Dementor's robe swaying in the wind. Keeping his eyes set on the oddity, and wand slightly pointed at it, James retreated into the house. 

"What's wrong son?" Mr. Potter asked, coming down the stairs.

"There's a thing outside, lurking around the fence." the boy said, confused what words to best describe what he saw. It really was a thing for all he knew. But Mr. Potter seemed far more understanding as he walked past his son and opened the door. Cerberus and Ophelia walked out of the kitchen as well and the group united on the front lawn, their eyes set on the 'thing'.

"Merlin's beard, he actually came." whispered Cerberus in awe.

The thing took form and it became the most entrancing person both Ophelia and James had ever seen.

"Can I enter or should I be kept here like a dog?" asked the man in a tone that sounded so much like Spinnard's yet this man's voice was so much lower. He was a true bass in matters of vocal ranges.

"Of course, old friend! Ophelia, James, this is Idris. He's the man we have been so eagerly waiting for." Mr. Potter said, smiling at the two children.

"Eagerly is a big word," James mumbled lowly only for Ophelia's ears but the man threw him a quick glare. "Blimey, he heard me."

Ophelia watched carefully as this new character, Idris, stepped on her land and with a hitched breath waited to see if this man was a friend or a villain. The house seemed to ponder on Idris' purpose too but in the end, let him in. 

"He's a friend of your father. How bad can he be?" she whispered to her friend, hoping Mr. Potter had the same type of loyal friend as Peverell.


	67. Insufferable Bastard

Idris Eynon was his name and he was indeed beautiful. That word would rarely be used on men, preferable being the adjective _handsome_ but Idris was an exception. 

Idris was taller than the average tall man in England, also comparing him with Cerberus and Dumbledore, both oddly tall wizards. He had shining white long hair that took the color of the light reflected on it. His face had proportions very close to perfection complemented by eyes blue like the sea, big and yet so sharp as if this man could look you in the eye as he destroys your life. From this point of view, it reminded her of Tom. And yet, dressed in a dark blue suit and standing with one leg over the other, slightly leaning back but standing straight and elegant he was far from being Tom. 

"How have you been, Idris?" Mr. Potter interrupted the awkward silence. 

"Well, until a certain wizard found me." Idris replied coldly. His eyes fell over James before they went on Ophelia. She was staring at him with doubt which amused the elder. "He asked me for a favor, funnily enough."

Cerberus rolled his eyes as he shifted in his seat. He was uncomfortable and hoped Idris will leave soon.

"The house is uncertain about you. Why?" Ophelia asked hearing the cracks in the walls. 

"You tell me since you let me in." He answered. "It is your house, isn't it? A magic house that protects its owner."

"Are you taunting me?" She asked warily, and she had all the right to with the man in front of her. 

Idris raised an eyebrow and leaned towards this girl. Her eyes were glinting in the light of the fire, strikes of red and yellow dancing around bright green. He couldn't see himself reflected in those orbs, but he could see greed and an infinite source of mischief. 

"I see your son is growing up well, Potter. He is far more handsome than I believed your inheritors to be." Idris changed the subject, attacking James as he leaned back with a smirk. 

"Excuse me?" James asked already annoyed. 

But Mr. Potter laughed it off, genuinely amused to the confusion of the rest. Idris seemed to be smiling too and James turned to his friend with narrowed eyes.

"They're nuts," he mumbled not understanding the funny bits in what was definitely an insult.

* * *

While it was also intriguing to see Mr. Potter laugh with his confusing old friend, the kids went up into their rooms. James was going to sleep in Spinnard's bedroom which would probably leave a mark on the young Gryffindor.

Lying in bed on her back, staring at the rays of moon light on her ceiling, Ophelia thought about everything she had figured out in these three years. It was a lot but she concentrated on her mother and Peverell mostly. She never wondered what Tom did and how it came to having a child with his cousin. Was that even planned or was it a mistake? Really, her father was a man of many secrets.

A knock interrupted her thoughts and she looked up, the door opening a bit for James to stuck his head in. 

"My room is scary. Spinnard's stuff are literally screaming at me!" He whispered as he slowly let himself in. "There are so many pictures and I can swear some of them are looking at me." He added as he shuddered.

"You'll get used to it." Was her answer which was not what he expected.

"You were right. This jerk will probably be our next professor. He said it himself, Dumbledore asked him for a favour." The boy changed the subject and sat on her bed.

"He didn't say who asked him for a favor. It might have been someone that has a high position, Lestrange for example."

"It does seem like they'd make a good pair, doesn't it? They'd probably talk all day long about how they could deteriorate further the relationship between wizards and muggles." he said grumpily, already imagining Idris point his wand at innocent people on the street.

Seeing how he was getting comfortable, Ophelia rose in a sitting position and crossed her legs. She stared at the boy with a soft expression, finding it impossible to tell him to leave her alone in her thoughts.

"He will piss off many students." She said already imagining all the fuss. 

"At least we'll have entertainment if not real education. He doesn't seem like he knows much." 

"I believe he does. He looks so young and composed but there is more to him. There's darkness." She added her eyes glinting in the dim light coming through the crack of her opened door.

"Well, I should inform Sirius about him." 

"Why not the whole school?" She added sarcastically.

James looked carefully at the girl in front of him, taking in the developments in both appearance and personality. She became so lively, so happy and playful and she was radiating.

"You really changed a lot, Molley. In better, if you want my opinion." 

"You should go and sleep. Cerberus is an early riser. He will do everything in his power to wake you early in the morning."

She was bad at accepting compliments, even if it was from the same person that gave her stupid nicknames.

"Sure, sure. It's still so strange finding out you live in Spinnard's house with Knowingall as your guardian. Will you tell me next that the jerk downstairs is your uncle or cousin or second brother or- " he rambled on even after he left her room and went towards his. She could hear him yelp when the door closed behind him, keeping him captive in a room filled with memories.

* * *

It was no surprise that next morning at six o'clock sharp, screams erupted from the room across the stairs. Ophelia's eyes opened wide and she jumped up looking for the reason. Thuds and moans were heard from the hall and she sighed heavily. Checking the time, she sighed again, feeling like the day has started way too soon and way too loud.

By the time she walked into the kitchen, it was silenter. Passing through the living room, she noticed Idris on the same spot as last night dressed in the same clothes only he seemed slightly more relaxed with a cup of something in his hand. He watched her the whole time she walked, until she closed the door behind her with a suspicious look. She sat next to James and glowered at his grumpy face for the whole time they ate.

James glanced at the door to the living room, especially the way the light seemed to flicker under the door. 

"That man is infuriating. How did you meet him, dad?" Asked the boy, turning to the elder.

"Ah, we were young back then. I remember he used to intimidate every student but he was quite popular. He came and left too soon for others to realize what he did back then." 

"And what did he do? He's not British from his accent." she continued, curious about the man with the looks of a story character. 

"He's Irish actually but after what happened at Hogwarts, he had to leave to the United States. I believe he was educated at Ilvermony."

"Ilvermony? The magic school from America? I haven't met anybody from there." James' eyes glinted with curiosity but noticing how excited he became, he quickly calmed himself down remembering just who he was talking about. 

Ophelia watched the boy with an amused smile, expression mirrored by Mr. Potter seeing how his son was growing interested in his old friend.

"But why did he leave Hogwarts? Back then Dumbledore wasn't the Headmaster, was he?" Ophelia asked, returning to the subject that mattered. 

"No, he wasn't. But I wasn't born either so I do not know why he had to leave."

"Wait, wait, wait, dad. What do you mean you weren't born? Weren't you colleagues at Hogwarts?"

"No, definitely not. If you're asking me, I believe the one colleague he had and you might have heard of was Newt Scamander. I met Idris when Dumbledore brought him to Hogwarts, in my sixth year. He was troubled back then and Dumbledore asked me to entertain him, we could say. It wasn't just me, of course, there were others but they all ended up hating Idris." 

"No surprise there," James whispered to his colleague.

"Idris worked as a librarian at Hogwarts for a while and Dumbledore tried to pursue him into teaching Potions but he declined. And then, _that_ happened and Idris was forced to leave and go into hiding." Potter's voice took a turn towards more sorrowful tone, "It was horrible to watch because I couldn't do anything, Dumbledore's advice."

"Did he murder a student?" James asked, his interest showing on his face; the same could be said about Ophelia.

"That's what they said but I didn't believe them. Idris is many things but he is not a murderer; nor a liar! Something happened, that student must have done something or said something because, to be frank, I had never seen Idris so affected before that day or after."

"How did the student die?" Ophelia asked, recalling Spinnard's journal. 

"He fell off from the Astronomy Tower."

"He was pushed, you mean."

"No, so called witnesses stated that they saw a shadow lurking around the victim before it grabbed him into the air, as if a Dementor had him hanging in the air before it dropped him." Mr. Potter finished his story, letting the youngsters imagine and reflect on his words.

Cerberus rolled his eyes, already having a clear idea of what happened back then. It was troublesome to have such a person in their house, one that could spontaneously change from a well-doer to an evil monster. And Dumbledore asked him for a favor, ha! 

"He was the most talented Slytherin, I bet. At least while he was at Hogwarts," mumbled James to Ophelia, breaking the silence.

It was a few hours later when James was investigating the house that Ophelia walked into the garden and noticed a shadow lurking behind thick trees. It was definitely a young man because once another person walked out, the shadow ran away instead of disappearing.

"He's been watching this house since last night." Said the newcomer. He approached Ophelia and took a peek behind her at the fountain before he turned to her.

"Ever since you arrived. The mysterious stranger that will teach at Hogwarts. A professor with a criminal record, for a change." She said, still watching him with a glint of suspicion. "Why are you here exactly?"

"Why are you here? Why aren't you with your father?" Idris asked in return, "Many people died because of you. Neither this land or Hogwarts will protect you forever. Why don't you just go with him so that the rest can live peacefully?" 

Ophelia stared at the man with a frown, her eyes tearing up around the corners. She tried not to show just how angry that question made her but her face was giving it away.

"The truth hurts, doesn't it? Too bad." He added, pushing one string of hair behind his ear. "You shouldn't attract innocent fools into your life. Don't bother searching for aliances because no one will help you."

"My friends already help me." She replied quickly.

"Your friends are all children. Don't count on their promises. Once they grow, they move on and forget all about the past."

"And yet here you are, in the house of a stranger only because you were called by someone from your past. Or is Mr. Potter not your friend?" She asked with an icy tone. 

There was obviously no retort as Idris seemed to be thinking about it. Ophelia glanced at the forest and sighed, thinking of her father and what he might be doing at the moment. Did he even know who Idris was? 

* * *

"My Lord, Rabastan returned and it seems there is a problem." Aeron Lestrange started, feeling small in front of the mighty Dark Lord. Seeing how Voldemort didn't say anything, Lestrange continued, "It's a man. I believe his name is Idris." 

A guttural chuckle left Voldemort's throat as his eyes sparkled. It looked like those once blue eyes have almost completely became red. 

"What do you want us to do? Should Rabastan go for a visit and gather more information?" 

Voldemort smirked as he remembered when and where he had heard that name before. 

"No need. My daughter will tell me everything when time comes." 

Lestrange was suspicious. For some reason, his master was being secretive and that could only mean possible trouble for him and the others. 

Once Lestrange left, Rabastan entered the room of the most terrifying man he had ever met. His hands were trembling, never walking up to him so boldly before but he was worried.

"Here to talk to me about Ophelia, I suppose?" Tom asked in that alluring yet cold tone. 

"I think it would be best to have me go to her, sir. What if that man tells her something not proper for her current state?" Rabastan asked knowing Ophelia's respect for her father did not mean indefinite trust.

"He can do whatever he desires. Ophelia won't stray from her path."

"Why are you so sure she won't just give in? Her bond with Potter has evolved into something genuine and troublesome." Continued the boy, taking a step forward.

"I wouldn't worry about Potter in your place, Rabastan." Hissed the red eyed snake, annoyed that this young boy was growing too attached and was losing sight of his own purpose. "Remain on your post and do not disappoint me."

Rabastan's eyes widened in fear before he nodded and left quickly. Once in his room he sighed heavily, his heart pounding in his chest. He couldn't understand how Ophelia could be so casual with her father, even after learning who he is. Lord Voldemort was a fearful man, if he was a man anymore. 

* * *

Although Idris came to Spinnard's cottage, Dumbledore did not make an appearance until a week later, time in which Ophelia and James avoided talking with or about or even near Mr. Potter's friend. But Fleamont was very talkative and made Idris laugh a few times, a sound stranger than parsletongue. 

On the night Dumbledore arrived, Ophelia was in the backyard, talking to the fountain, as weird as that may be. 

"Although he is an unlikeable creature, his story reminded me of yours. There are two sides to the story and we haven't heard his yet. Maybe it wasn't his fault, maybe a Dementor did attack that student or maybe I'm just searching for the side that I would like." she said, staring at the water.

There was no response but she noticed the same young man, making his way towards the house. It stopped and scooped to the ground suddenly which made sense after she heard the backdoor open.

"Professor Dumbledore's arrived." Cerberus informed her before he returned into the warmth of the house.

Ophelia glanced at the door before she turned to the young man in the forest. She was more curious why he was there rather than why Dumbledore wanted an alleged murderer to teach at Hogwarts. The decision was easy, she just went with her heart and almost scared Rabastan to death when she appeared in front of him. 

"What are you doing? Is this what my father orders you to do?" she asked genuinely worried for him.

Rabastan glared at her and jumped on his feet, wiping the leaves and dirt off his clothes.

"Who's that man?"

"Dumbledore?" she asked, knowing well what Rabastan meant. He narrowed his eyes at her and scoffed, making her chuckle bemusedly, "Is my father curious who he is or are you?"

"Both." he said, only giving half of the truth. "He's a powerful wizard but there's more to him. Haven't you noticed it? He's wary of you and the house."

"I believe his target is James not me. But it might be just childish teasing."

"That man is anything but childish. The Dark Lo-I mean, your father heard about him but he didn't tell us anything. I can only guess he wants you to find out on your own." 

"I have a question," she started suddenly, "I heard about a certain werewolf, Fenrir something..."

"Greyback. Fenrir Greyback. He's a nasty creature, what about him?"

"Does he have any connection with the Dark Lord yet?" It was interesting how she could say her father's title with so much ease. 

"He will. Why?" Rabastan asked warily, knowing -no, seeing in her eyes- that there was more than just curiosity.

"No reason." She answered quickly but those green eyes were just as intense when they were filled with hatred as Voldemort's. "Well then, I'll go back. You should too. Dumbledore's here." 

With that said, she spun around and ran back into the house. Rabastan sighed, worried for not Ophelia's safety but her anger. It seemed there was more of her father's character in her than any would have expected.

* * *

"You coerced the best legiliment in Britain to teach and then this-whatever this owl can do is above my understanding and now you want me to teach Defense against the Dark Arts at Hogwarts? Are you insane?" 

Idris' voice was so loud and clear that even if she wasn't eavesdropping, she could still hear him perfectly. Ophelia walked upstairs only to find James leaning on the railing, his ears perked up.

"It seems he doesn't like the offer," whispered James with a joyful smile. 

 "Let me remind you that Hogwarts only brought me misery and a title that I do not agree with! It made me a murderer when we both know what happened back then!" Idris continued, no sign of interference from Dumbledore.

"I'm sure they have forgotten already." Mr. Potter tried to mend the situation but Idris wasn't a fool.

"And yet I am still hiding from the Ministry of Magic. What if the Minister pops up for tea? What then?"

"I will take full responsibility, like I have always done."

"Really? Like what you did for Newt? Was that regarded by you as 'taking full responsibility'? Or should I remind you of your friendship with Grindelwald, or even better! Tom Marvolo Riddle and his incestuous relationship with his cousin. You couldn't control him but you could have stopped it from happening. You could have protected Lillian Gaunt just like you protected Newt or Luce Spinnard." 

It was deadly silent. After so many accusations, Dumbledore could not say anything without thinking it through. Ophelia was outside, her eyes staring at the floor while all the portraits in the house were whispering to each other. James glanced at his friend and noticed she was not surprised by what she heard.

"I know and I regret what happened but I could not interfere more than I did. It was Lillian's choice. As for my former friendship with Grindelwald, it was before he acted out his ideas. Everything you say is right, Idris, but it is not relevant for the present or the future. I'm asking this favor because I know your condition is not improving."

"I'm in this condition because of that filthy Rosier family. They made me hide among muggles and we both know what it arose in me. It is rare for a child like me to pass into adulthood and then be cured of my darkness and yet it came back after that incident. My Obscurus came back because of that wretched castle." 

Ophelia and James looked at each other, one more curious than the other. Just, what was an Obscurus?


	68. The Beginning of Their Torment

After that lovely chat between the adults, Idris left and so did Dumbledore. A few days later, Mr. Potter announced they will return home as well, which didn't get a reaction from his son. Ophelia had many questions and James had new curiosities but both were asking themselves the same thing: will Idris show up on September 1st or not? That was the main subject for the rest of the summer break and James wrote so many letters to Ophelia, more than any of them would have imagined a few months ago. Most of them were about Idris and his condition but quite a lot were also about dueling and Quidditch and random muggle stuff that James would mail to her. Having Willy deliver her letters in time was an achievement, although he did lose some of them. 

"Are you ready?" Cerberus asked, helping Ophelia pack for another school year. 

"It's my fourth year. I can manage."

"You won't say that in your sixth and seventh years. I assure you about it; I've been there, done that."

"Were you even good in school or was it just Quidditch that you were famous for?" she asked, half joking and half asking seriously.

"I taught you well last year, haven't I? I was quite good but children are so tiresome." the owl man answered, rubbing his temples only at the memory.

"That's because you chose to teach Occlumency too."

"I didn't choose to do it. I was paid to do it. There's a huge difference."

"I hope I won't become someone like you in the future," she mumbled before she took her trunk and walked towards the stairs.

"I hope you do, actually." Cerberus muttered to himself, watching her like an older brother rather than a fatherly figure.

As soon as they arrived at King's Cross, Cerberus gave Ophelia a tight hug and kissed her cheeks as if she was a first year. He was acting up which confused the poor girl. 

"See you soon, darling!" he exclaimed louder than she felt necessary. "I will miss you dearly. Write me all the time but don't send the letters with Willy."  

"Why are you embarrassing me?" 

"Does it work?" He asked which got him a glare in return, "I had always imagined how I'd react when my child left for Hogwarts. I saw a lot of examples but embarrassing your child is the best." 

"You're evil." 

"Oh look, there's Potter!" 

Without a second thought Ophelia turned her head to look for the boy yet there was no one. She sighed, realizing what Cerberus did. He was as old as her father -whatever that age was- and still he acted like a child.

"Ophelia!" her name was called not even five minutes afterwards.

She barely got her trunk and cage on the train when a wide eyed and very excited Severus Snape ran to her. 

"You won't believe what happened this summer!" 

That was going to take a while.

* * *

"So, as we were walking down to her house, because I had to be a gentleman and take her home, I saw this shadow, it was definitely a man with a bowler hat on, and he followed us for a while until he vanished for no apparent reason. After I left Lily, I went home and guess who was waiting for me on the doorstep?" He didn't let her guess because he was too excited to have her say the wrong answer, "Rodolphus Lestrange was there with Evan Rosier!" He whispered, trying to limit his excitement to the glint in his eyes.

Ophelia frowned, seeing no real reason to be happy.

"What did they want to talk about?" She asked calmly.

"They gave me something. Here," he took something from his pocket, something that looked very much like a diamond. "It seems this little thing is an Enlightener; an object that gives you answers."

"Like a cheating object?"

"No, I believe it is not for exams but it's still very useful!"

"Right. As useful as a Rememberall, if you ask me. What, if you ask this little round diamond what his purpose is, it'll answer?" Ophelia asked sarcastically, not awaiting anything to happen. But Severus glanced at it curiously, expectantly even, just to prove his friend that Lestrange and Rosier gave him something important. Nothing happened.

"They gave it to me for a reason, even told me to keep an eye out for Dementors."Severus said, assured that he finally received a chance to get closer at becoming a Death Eater. 

Ophelia's eyes widened as she remembered how James described the darkness lurking in front of their front yard. Was that part of Idris' Obscurus or was it just him messing around? So many questions and it seemed her father had his own plans for this new year.  

* * *

The train ride was longer than usually and it was all because Severus had so many plans for the new year. It seemed he wanted to do a lot and yet when coming to the core of it, nothing. Yet the thing he craved the most was becoming a worthy Slytherin, whatever that meant. 

"I hope our training as Death Eaters will continue with a new trainer, maybe Rosier. Malfoy and Lestrange graduated, to your exaltation." the boy kept silent for a few minutes before he asked away his curiosities, "Have you met your father this summer?"

"No, surprisingly. It's been silent and it's troublesome. I witnessed a man die in front of my eyes at Christmas and now it feels like he's given me time to grow after that experience." she sighed and looked down at her ring, "I'm very curious, Sev. My father is such an alluring person and everything he does is planned in the utmost detail. I'm curious what drove him to become the Dark Lord and why he chose mum."

"So you're finally ending your mother's past and begin your father's? Won't he be angry about it?" 

"He's secretive, yes, but he wants me close and for that he must give me the truth. Besides, I've got you, haven't I? You'll help me." she said, turning with a suspicious smile at her friend. Severus rolled his eyes but gave in nonetheless. He was curious too. 

As soon as they arrived at Hogsmeade, Severus ran to his Slytherin mates, the same old nasty gang while Ophelia met Cissney. She was walking ahead for some reason, her eyes searching for somebody in the crowd of students. A few steps behind were Lily and Alice, both talking animatedly about something. When they saw the green eyed witch, they hurried to her and hugged each other tightly. 

"It's so nice to be reunited! We were looking for you in the train, hoping Potter didn't grab a hold of you yet." Alice said, not entirely joking. 

"What about Cissney? She seems to be searching for somebody else,"

Lily and Alice shook their heads at each other before they each wrapped an arm around Ophelia's and started to walk towards the carriages. 

"There's so much to tell." Lily said.

* * *

Hogwarts did not change much, if at all in the time they spent away from it. It was just as grand and beautiful as always, and as slippery it seemed because it had rained a day before. But everything was the same: the paintings, Peeves, the other ghosts and of course students. She couldn't help but search for the young Black yet couldn't find him anywhere. Instead, she heard his older brother from afar, laughing with his friends. Zabini passed by with Evan Rosier and his sister, the girl looking at him the same way Cissney did. And then came the Gryffindor girl, pouting at the sight.

"A lot can change in a year." Mumbled Lily in encouragement but Ophelia and Alice glanced at each other with worry.

"If only he wasn't a Slytherin..." Alice whispered to her green eyed friend, both thinking at the worst case scenario.

But once inside the Great Hall, it seemed like the spirits were lifted. They found their colleagues really fast thanks to obvious reasons and while the girls tried to stay as close to each other as possible, Ophelia was pulled between James and Remus, with Pettigrew and Sirius standing across them.

"D'you think he'll come?" he asked before even saying hello. 

The close bond that formed between the two, as surprising and still interesting to watch, became part of their lives. Nobody asked questions when he literally forced her to sit next to him, not even Sirius but that did not mean they were not listening in.

"Who to come?" asked Longbottom from his seat next to Remus.

"Dumbledore..." the glasses boy said slowly, his mind working for an answer as he spoke. It didn't sound convincing at all.

"A new professor of DADA. Knowingall gave up on ever teaching children again." Ophelia gave out the truth in a way that was still vague.

"Right, he left. Does that mean we'll have a third professor? That's going to be harsh." 

"True. We may not move forward in our studies." added Remus, feeling disappointed because he truly liked Knowingall. 

"Harsh for him, I mean. Students will be savages from the first course if he doesn't impose respect." Cissney continued, half of her attention on their discussion and half on Zabini. "When did Rosier become such good pals with Zabini?"

"Want me to ask Rabastan?" Ophelia taunted the girl, knowing Cissney's answer already. Actually, now that she was taking a better look at her dorm mate, she seemed to have put more effort in her looks and she died her hair in a color that looked like eggnog. "Aren't you trying a bit much for a Slytherin?"

"It doesn't matter what house he is in as long as he's a decent human being."

"A quality of Slytherins through and through." commented Black from the side, rolling his eyes at the way female brain works. "I'd say you should get yourself a new crush. He will never turn his head and look over this table anytime soon."

"He just did," mumbled Ophelia, being the first one that glanced at the Slytherin table over her shoulder. Black rose an eyebrow curiously and the whole group turned very bluntly to look at Zabini and his friends. The boy seemed confused and turned to his mate, talking quietly about something or another. 

"Maybe you should lay low for a few days. This might have scared him off." Lily said, herself frowning at what she just advised her friend. But indeed, Zabini looked taken aback by the sudden interest they have taken in him. 

With that, Dumbledore entered the Hall and smiled his usually welcoming smile, his eyes not lagging over any table just in case that would provoke rumors. And there were going to be rumors this year, Dumbledore knew what he was about to do. 

But first came the newcomers, all getting sorted to their houses. And then came the feast, Cissney cowering behind her juice so as not to be seen by any Slytherin. James was laughing with Pettigrew and Remus was talking with Lily about the upcoming classes which left Black staring into Ophelia's green eyes thoughtfully. 

"What's my brother doing right now, do you know?" he asked, his eyes glancing for a second at Regulus.

"He's eating?" she asked not turning to check.

"He told me he wants to enter the Quidditch team this year and that he'd like to get further knowledge in Potions." the boy added, his voice hoarser than the last time she heard him speak so seriously.

"So?"

"A sudden change, isn't it?"

"He's probably sick to have you follow him around and get bullied for being in the same family. He's growing up and you should follow his example." she said in a tone that sounded more polite than casual. It felt as if Sirius was not a friend but just a random somebody that she met a few hours ago.  

Sirius didn't say anything but he did lean on his hand, his piercing dark eyes staring at the girl with a mix of emotions.

Just as he was about to ask her something else, Dumbledore rose with a suspicious twinkle in his eyes. He looked at his students before he particularly moved his attention on the Gryffindor table. James nudged Ophelia a bit too hard and she dropped her beautiful and tasty dessert on her lap. Dumbledore smiled bemusedly when he noticed her childish glare at her friend before she made him choke on his muffin. 

"I am glad to see that everyone is having such a nice time and I am sure this atmosphere will continue in the classrooms as well!" he started, his voice resonating through the walls. Students chuckled or groaned, depending on how they were evolving at school. "As most of you know already, professor Knowingall has decided to retire from his position at Hogwarts, leaving us without a professor of Defense against the Dark Arts and Oclumency. Fortunately, there is somebody that I asked to fill in that position, at least for this year. He is not here, not yet." the headmaster said in a sour tone, "But he will welcome you all during your first lesson. Now, with that said, everything else is the same, rules included. Good luck this year and I bid you goodnight!" Dumbledore said with a warm smile before he retreated.

"He didn't arrive yet? What kind of professor is the one we haven't even seen yet?" asked a random Hufflepuff, curious what Dumbledore spoke about.

"He's probably really old and ugly and hates crowds." a Ravenclaw added, all walking close to each other.

" I just hope he won't become a second Binns. I can barely keep my eyes open in his classes." said Goldstein, the radiant blond who, in Ophelia's view, seemed to have grown taller and broader. "Oh, Molley! Guess we won't see each other in Occlumency anymore."

"Why? Won't this new professor teach us Legilimency this year? I was hoping I could finally see what's in your mind." she lied since she could already do that, thanks to Spinnard and Cerberus. 

"Dumbledore only mentioned DADA, though." answered Goldstein, his bright face looking slightly sullen.

"I don't think _that man_ could teach two subjects. He would implode before you enter his classroom." mumbled Potter, "Let's hope he'll leave an impression on Slytherins. I can't wait to see how he will react with a lot like Mulciber's."

Indeed, they had a lot to be looking forward to.


	69. Too Many Troubles, Such Little Time

The first few days passed leisurely with recollections of what they learned and what they will study this year. McGonagall passed through her lesson quickly, getting everybody accustomed to Switching Spells, an idea that sounded nice to Potter. But Ophelia was confused about one thing and she guessed McGonagall had an answer.

"Professor, what about Occlumency?"

"What about it, Molley?" 

"With Cerberus gone, who will teach us Legilimency this year?" 

McGonagall looked up at her student with a frown. She was aware of how gifted Molley was in the art of messing with one's mind especially after taking a peek at Spinnard's. 

"I'm afraid professor Dumbledore hasn't found someone so naturally, the professor of Dark Arts will take over."

"Idris Eynon?" She asked with obvious dislike. 

"Don't scoff, Molley. Don't underestimate a man older than your father." 

"But he was expelled from Hogwarts and he murdered a child." She hissed.

Taken aback, McGonagall found herself nudging her student towards the door. 

"Go to your next class, Molley and do not tell that to any of your classmates." McGonagall's voice was harsh but there was also a bit of understanding.

In the corridor, around the first turn towards the stairs was Potter. He grabbed her as soon as he saw her and crouched in the shadows of the walls. 

"I think we should dig deeper into the past of this Eynon." He whispered as if anybody could hear them. "I asked my father but he didn't say a word more or less from the last time. We need to find someome who knew him."

"Or try our luck in the library. We should start by searching what an Obscurus is." She said, gaining positive reactions from the boy.

"Yes, right. You go with the library and I'll expand my researches." James muttered before he patted her shoulder and ran away.

"Whatever that means." She mumbled rolling her eyes. 

Lunch was next after Transfiguration and James Potter was nowhere to be seen. And that was not the only lunch that passed by like that, but quite a number afterwards. But the fateful day of Friday came and DADA was in the morning. Everybody was excited, both Gryffindors and Slytherins and they were expecting neatly in the classroom. Nobody was saying a word to Sirius' surprise when he entered. 

"Did someone die? Is there some kind of curse on the brats?" He asked Remus genuinely concerned. 

"There's a rumour that our professor was a former Slytherin." Cissney answered, turning around in her seat in front of Black. "It's been circulating ever since the first day when he didn't show his face." 

Ophelia was standing next to Longbottom, next row to their mates with Lily and Alice behind. Potter and Pettigrew were standing together in the front rows, too close to the latter's comfort. 

"Why can't we stay in the back like usually?" 

"Because I want to see him." Potter answered making Peter rise an eyebrow in confusion.

There was no time for further questions because heavy steps were heard coming towards the classroom. Ophelia looked at every student, noticing how much all of them were anticipating this new professor. When the door opened, they turned their heads to Idris and girls gasped. The whole path to the front of the class room felt like he was trotting, glamour oozing off him. 

"Good evening. My name is Idris Eynon and I will act like your professor of Defense against the Dark Arts." He introduced himself before he drew his white wand. It was beautiful and Potter was ogling at it, same with Avery. "I'll teach you how to protect yourselves but also how to attack and when to do it so that your enemy will not be able to combat your spells."

So far, Idris had the attention of everyone in the room, especially the eager Slytherins.

"Open your books on hexes. I'm sure you have familiarized yourselves with them already. Copy down only the information that tickles your interest and afterwards we'll try them-" he paused and eyes wandered over every face until they stopped on Potter. "Mulciber! Your family's infamous loyalty to the dark arts must lead you in your extra curricular activities. I'd like to see just how much." 

That was not the answer anyone expected. Potter felt quite disappointed that Idris didn't choose him but then again, the situation might turn into his favor. 

Yet it didn't. Copying down took a while and Mulciber was most likely to use his favorite curses and jinxes and those might not even be in the book for all he knew. 

"Are you done?" Idris asked growing bored of watching them crouch over their papers. "Mulciber, come here and choose your closest friend to tag along." The white haired man ordered, not even bothering to get up from his chair.

The Slytherin boy raised an eyebrow curiously but did drag Avery along, more or less willingly. The two boys glanced each other and prepared their wands, thinking that maybe there will be two others to fight against. But Idris jolted from his seat and walked behind the two.

"You will not fight Gryffindors but you will fight each other." He said as he turned them to face one another, "Your closest enemy is your friend. Don't forget that." He said before he took a few steps back and leaned on his desk. "Well, show me what you have learned up to this point."

"Are you serious, professor? Why would I fight my friend? Why not just take Longbottom for a short duel?" Avery asked smirking evilly at the Gryffindor. 

"No. As long as you are in this classroom, you do what I tell you to. If you do not, you'll either get detention or points taken from your exam. That applies to everybody, not only you two." Idris said taking a long look at his students. Most of them were staring at him with millions of questions in their pretty little heads but he could feel Potter's eyes dig holes in his head. He was not scared or worried but he was making a plan, just like his dear father used to. 

In the end, Mulciber and Avery had to duel and they did so in a very lazy manner. None tried to hurt the other, more like using playful jinxes that they used on students, only less aggressive. Idris rolled his eyes at the two but let them be. At least he knew what to expect from Slytherins.

* * *

"That was the most boring DADA lesson I had ever seen." Cissney mumbled during lunch. "But blimey that professor knows how to clean himself! He's so good looking that even when he was threatening us he was so..." she stopped in the moment Zabini entered the Great Hall. She watched him go to the Slytherin table and sit between the Rosiers. 

The girls glanced at what caught Cissney's attention and they all gave a dramatic sigh. It became a bit of a routine to have such a social butterfly like Cissney Littlewood have a crush on someone and not be able to approach that person.  

"He's human too. You could just grab him aside in the corridor and talk to him. Or even better, literally fall into him." Lily started seeing the hearts in her friend's eyes. 

"I can't do that. He's always with Rosier and his sister," as she mentioned the girl, Cissney dug her fork into her lunch harshly and quite strong since the whole table vibrated. Remus and Peter looked up in surprise before they decided to stick to their sandwiches, which they could hold off the table.

 "If you want my advice, Littlewood-" Sirius started but she cut him off short.

"I'm not at that level of desperation just yet."  

Sirius eyed her long and hard before he answered.

"Are you sure? You do give off a smell of heartbreak." 

Cissney glared at him with such intensity that if he tried to, Sirius could see the flames flaring from her nose. But from the corner of her eye she saw Zabini leave with Katie Rosier and her whole bad act became a hurt puppy. 

"Smell of heartbreak~" Sirius sung to himself getting a light hit under the table from Lily. 

"Why do you even offer help when you haven't had a girlfriend yet?"

"I agree I wasn't interested in relationships but I'm only 14 years old, ginger. I'm at the beginning of a very fruitful life." He said with a proud smile on his face. "You will see. You're going to swallow up those words very soon."

"Do you have a date already?" Peter asked growing curious. 

"As a matter of act, I do have a rendez-vous on our first Hogsmeade break." He was gloating, it was so obvious that it made the rest roll their eyes.  

"And who's the unfortunate soul?" Alice asked already dreading the poor girl's choice. 

"Gwendoline Richards. She's a Hufflepuff and she's probably glancing this way as we speak." 

Just as Sirius mentioned, Lily glanced at the Hufflepuff table and saw a thin brunette with glasses steal glances at Sirius and his friends. She sighed and shook her head feeling only pity for those who wanted to get close to Sirius Black. 

"Ah right, doesn't it seem to you like, I don't know, it's so silent?" Alice asked seeing how something was missing.

"Potter's not here." Cissney muttered still in a mellow mood. "I'm sure he's wreaking havoc somewhere in the castle."

That assumption was not wrong. Potter was indeed wreaking havoc but not the usual kind. When James Potter entered the library so early during the school year, students eyed him suspiciously. He scoffed when he ehard some Ravenclaws mumbling about how he was going to burn them all to the ground and rolled his eyes when some Slytherin girls drew their wands close. He wasn't such a bad man, not compared to Mulciber and his lot.

In the very back, standing at her usual cursed desk with her usual study buddy was Ophelia. She raced there as soon as DADA ended because she had to meet Severus for something or another. From what he could see, Snivelly was giving Ophelia some extra notes on Potions. 

"So, why did we meet here and what should we search for? I could just send a letter to dad or go sneak on Idris during his free time." He said it as if that was the normal course of things. 

Severus glanced at the glasses boy with a new sense of superiority. He could see from his messy appearance that Potter was not thinking it through before acting. It was all impulse and emotion for him.

"Idris is not an fool. He'd see you as soon as you step anywhere near him. We need to look for a book about Obscurus. Sev, can you help?"

Severus was drawn away from his little 'I'm better than you' daydream on Potter and looked at Ophelia with wide owlish eyes.

"Obscurus? Do you even know what that is?" he hissed checking to see if someone else heard them. The answer was vague from both Gryffindors. "It's a wizard that cannot use his powers. It builds up to the point his magic becomes a force in itself and destroys its bearer. It's dangerous."

"We kind of figured that one out, Snivellius. We just want to know more than that. You can help or not, I genuinely wouldn't trust you with anything, especially this." Potter said nonchalantly. Severus scoffed, grabbed his stuff and left without another word. Potter watched him with an amused grin before he locked eyes with Ophelia. She wasn't happy at all.

"You could keep shut that mouth of yours and let me speak for once. That way we could work faster and actually learn something instead of pushing smart students away." She said in a very calm tone although her eyes were glinting with anger.

"We don't need Snape. You're smart enough and I am witty enough. We make the perfect team as it is." he said contently. It was really a wonder how Potter crawled under her skin but he did nonetheless and it was pissing her off. 

"We cannot enter the Restricted Section, I tried several times already. It's annoying how she doesn't let me in there anymore." She said changing the subject so she wouldn't get even more annoyed. 

"We can enter by night. Nobody's here at that time." He said looking straight into her eyes.

"There are night guards, in case you have forgotten. They'll see us, paintings will see us, Filtch will see us." 

But Potter smiled in a way that it made him look like the Cheshire cat.

"No, they won't. I received a very interesting gift last Christmas from my father. Nobody will know we entered the library. Trust me."


	70. Mission Probable

At a few minutes after midnight, Potter sneaked out of his dorm and went down into the common room. Ophelia was already there dressed in her dark pajamas and she looked like she hadn't gone to sleep to begin with. 

"How long have you been here for?"

"Fifteen minutes. I had a nightmare." she said yet not going into further details. 

Potter nodded and took something that he was hiding behind his back. Ophelia watched carefully as the boy wrapped the cloak around him up to his neck and she gasped.

"I present you the Invisibility Cloak, Molley. Best suited for mischief." He said before he opened it and urged her to get in.

"This is so odd," she whispered once they were safely covered and out in the wilderness. She was busy holding the light while he was taking the lead. "How did your father come to have such a cloak, anyway?"

"Family heirloom. He told me I should take care of it and make good use of it, all with a knowing glint in his eyes."

"Or maybe he had second thoughts." She mumbled after which he 'coincidentally' hit her with his elbow while trying to keep himself covered. 

The way to the library had never been so long before. They moved slowly, had to be careful where to turn and when to go down the stairs and in the end, not be caught. It was an achievement how nothing happened.

"Now, restricted section, books about old events that happened in Hogwarts." Ophelia mumbled to herself. She was curious if Idris was just a victim like Spinnard or he was the actual murderer. "We don't need the cloak anymore." She said as she sneaked out of it.

"What exactly should we look for? It's not like they let past registries in the library, do they?" Potter asked, patting his lip thoughtfully. "Or maybe we should look at the old magazines. I bet all my allowance there was a reporter that wrote about it."

Ophelia looked up at her colleague and blinked, thinking over and over about Spinnard's room and scandal. 

"The Daily Prophet might had actually covered the story and with a bit of luck we only need to look at one particular month of the year." She added thinking how once Potter was busy searching she could also look for something.

The shelves were full of books, about all kind of potions or dark magic, there was everything one could imagine and yet there was not even one register that concerned the school. No matter how much they searched, nothing conclusive came out. 

"This is not going the way I expected." Potter moaned, leaning back with a pout. He was visibly growing tired and his expectation lowered by half. 

"Do you think that maybe someone interfered and erased that article? I mean, what if there was something more that we don't know of?" Ophelia asked still looking through newspapers.

"We don't know anything anyway. Maybe I should ask my father about it." 

"But what if Idris altered your father's memory?" She asked without thinking how the boy would take such a supposition.

"Who would even think of doing something so dangerous?" 

Ophelia looked up and found herself with a name on her lips even if she didn't say it. 

They kept searching for another 30 minutes before Potter's whines became louder and annoying. She rolled her eyes and eventually gave in but she did look through one more newspaper of the day her mother died. It was on the front page with a picture of Lillian from when she was younger. It said **_Tragedy in Ireland. Lillian Gaunt, descendant of Salazar Slytherin, died of unexpected causes_**. Ophelia tried to keep her offense at the title to herself but Potter suddenly appeared behind her and took a peek over her shoulder. 

"They could have left that last part out. It's not like it mattered whose descendant she was." Potter started softly, "She was a Gryffindor. Isn't that odd? And she came to Hogwarts in her fifth year, recently having been home schooled." He added as he read the lines under the picture.

"This is- well, was- my mother." She said seriously, her grip on the paper tightening. "She was murdered cruelly in our home in Ireland. We were hiding there..."

Potter needed a few moments before he frowned as the information settled in.

"What?" He hissed not quite grasping the whole situation. "That's your mum?! Descendant of Slytherin?!" He took a pause before he asked, his voice rising in pitch, "Murdered?!" 

"I can't really remember much. Everything is so blurry and mixed up but the fear I felt that night was real." 

"You don't really look like her, though. Well, maybe the color of your eyes but that's all. Nobody would recognize her in you." he added as he compared the two. 

"Mr. Ollivander did. So did professor Slughorn." 

"Hmm, really? Don't girls usually resemble their fathers more?" 

Ophelia's eyes widened as she turned to her friend with newfound realization. He didn't seem to find his words significant because he started to read the whole article on Lillian but it did make sense to her. Looking down at Lillian's picture, Ophelia's hair was dark, her skin was paler than her mother's, her eyes were elongated unlike Lillian's which were big and round and she seemed to give a different vibe to people she met unlike the warmth and friendliness oozing off Lillian's face. She was definitely growing more into her father rather than her mother and Ophelia wasn't sure if that was in her favour or not just yet.

"We should leave. There's nothing about an obscurus here." Ophelia said in the end feeling like they only wasted their time.

* * *

James went to sleep right away but Ophelia couldn't move up into the dormitory. She glanced at the fireplace and walked to it, the picture still hidden behind much Gryffindor pride. In the end, she sat on the couch and leaned her head back, giving a tired sigh as she closed her eyes.

_The students look at me differently,_

_Spinnard's voice echoed in her mind, making her feel the same amount of guilt she did when she first read his diary. And then everything changed and Idris came in front of her eyes, but his face was not scornful as it usually was..._

_Let me remind you that Hogwarts only brought me misery and a title that I do not agree with!_

_He screamed at her as if she was the one he was angry with. His form vanished and Ophelia found herself in the Astronomy Tower. She looked around and realized it was the same yet different. Slowly, she moved around and realized there were two more people towards the edge. Her eyes widened when she saw Idris with another student. What seemed like the most collected man she had seen looked like a giant ball of annoyance and hatred. The other student was speaking quite a lot as he pointed his finger at Idris, his eyes glinting with malice. The two didn't like each other, that much was obvious, but it seemed like whatever that student was going on about was only making Idris' condition worse. It happened really quickly, in matter of seconds, Idris' form vanished as he became this mass of darkness. He was still trying to reduce his anger, Ophelia could clearly see a human head morphing from and into nothingness. She approached the two and watched in amazement as the obscurus was fighting his host. She reached to it with eyes wide and curious and when she touched the mass, someone placed their hand over her eyes and pulled her into their chest. She only heard a boy scream before she was forced to wake up._

"Is Miss alright?" a tiny squeaky voice asked as soon as she opened her eyes to reality. Ophelia looked around, having heard that type of voice before. Her eyes fell over a curious creature, one that looked slightly worse than the one she welcomed in her house. "Hello," he said, jumping next to her with wide green eyes of the size of tennis balls. It looked like he was almost happy to see her.

"Are you a friend of Dylis'?" She asked with suspicion. The elf shook his head and smiled at her, his glossy eyes shining with innocence.

"No, Miss. Dobby was sent here to aid Miss in her quest. Master sent Dobby as soon as he heard you need to find a paper about obscurus." He explained before he searched through his pockets and took out a page torn from a newspaper. It was very old and the date on the corner explained why: 1917. 

"Dobby, have we met before?" She asked as she turned her attention on the elf but he vanished. 

The page was itself in a bad state but she could still make out what it said. E _mergency meeting at the Ministry of Magic. A student of 14 years old was murdered at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry as cause of the ignorance some professors have shown towards a peculiar staff member. Idris Eynon, of age 20, recently returned after being expelled in his fifth year for a reason that Hogwarts representatives have not yet confessed. Mister Eynon was seen by multiple witnesses while arguing with the victim before he was pushed off. Further details will be given as the Ministry will come with a verdict for the assistant librarian._

"So it's true. He did push that kid off." Potter mumbled during breakfast. "He was obviously not sent to Azkaban so what exactly was his punishment?" 

"I don't know but look at this picture. This is Idris and the next is the victim. Doesn't he look familiar?" She asked pointing at the stern boy smirking on his broom. 

Potter needed a few minutes of concentration before he finally saw it. The resemblance was uncanny and yet both Gryffindors knew they found another person to ask. Below his picture was the name, half unreadable but at a closer look they could make it out.

"So that's our next lead...Zabini." he mumbled taking a peek at the Slytherin. 

* * *

"We cannot just ask him what he knows because chances are he doesn't know anything. It may not even be his relative." Ophelia started as they made their way to Transfiguration.

"How many families are there whose name is Zabini? One." He said, suddenly growing more stubborn if that could be possible. 

"And why are you so sure he'll talk to me and not you?" She pestered.

"Look, Molley, you spend time with Snivelly. Get him to ask or even better, get Rabastan involved." 

"Why are you so keen on finding out the truth about what happened? This is not about our curiosity about obscurus anymore." She said stopping as soon as they reached the classroom.

"I want to make sure that my father doesn't endanger himself unnecessarily." Was his response before he entered, already being late as it was.

Ophelia sighed and followed him inside, apologizing to professor McGonagall as she hurried to her seat next to Lily.

For the next few weeks nothing major happened. Potter was waiting for Ophelia to pop up the news to him but she hasn't decided yet what to do. Every lesson with Idris was average compared to Spinnard's war like attitude and Cerberus' playfulness but suspiciously, Slytherins were quiet during DADA. 

"How is searching for the obscurus information?" Severus asked during their usual meetings. They were in a corridor towards the girls' bathroom from the first floor. Nobody was coming there after dinner so Ophelia chose it as their hiding spot.

"Potter has transformed it into a personal matter. But it's strange,"

"What is?" Severus asked, growing curious.

"A house elf came to me and delivered a page torn from a newspaper from 1917. The paper looks like someone used it to clean but certain details are still visible." Ophelia explained, the paper being now in the common room, in the front pocket of a particularly annoying glasses boy.

"A house elf visited you?" Severus asked a little skeptical that it could happen. But then again, she did spend Christmas at the Malfoy Manor.

"He said his name is Dobby. I am sure I had seen him before but I can't pinpoint where or when. He seemed happy to see me, as if he recognized me." She added.

Severus was curious so he tried to see it with his own eyes but as soon as he entered her mind, he was shoved around until eventually he was thrown out. 

"Nice try," she said bemusedly, "Anyway, Potter wants me to ask Zabini if any of his relatives were killed during their fourth year."

"Zabini?"

"Yeah. It seems the victim was a pureblood Slytherin named Orion Zabini and he had an older brother, Enos who is Enzo's father."

"What kind of family names their sons like that?" Severus asked finding no problem with his own odd name. Ophelia watched him for a moment, debating if she should point that out but she ended up not doing it.

"Anyway, I need to catch him by himself but he is always with the Rosiers. What about the late night meetings in the Room of Requirement? I haven't seen Katie there." she asked, her eyes brightening at the mention of the dark arts lessons.

"Lestrange and Malfoy graduated so the ones taking over our tutoring will probably be Rabastan and Rosier." Severus said before he turned to her, "You do realize that without Malfoy, there is no way other Slytherins will accept you coming."

"Frankly, I don't care." 

 _"_ You should. I know you rely on your idea that nothing can happen to you, but no one will take your side." Severus said, gathering his strength to enter her mind once more. He was getting quite good at Legilimency.

"You will. You're my friend." she replied, surprising him with her bluntness. Severus couldn't say anything because he knew deep down he wouldn't risk his life for her no matter how close they have gotten. But Ophelia believed in her words.

* * *

It just so happened that the next day, a wild Severus Snape ran through the corridors, up to the Gryffindor Tower and stopped in front of the Fat Lady, finally realizing that he did not know the password.

"Well? What are you doing here?" the portrait asked him, looking at the boy as if he was a first year. 

"I'll just wait." he said, walking off and choosing to sit near the marble stairs. Luckily, Ophelia came out by herself, whispering to herself about what Severus believed was how much of a pest was Potter. "Ophelia! I have great news!" he said, jumping on his feet and grabbing her hand while moving aside. "Zabini has no interest in the dark arts. I eavesdropped on Katie and her friends last night in the corridor and it seems he's going to become the head of the Dueling Club. You're in that club, aren't you?"

"Right but I stopped going after Christmas." she muttered scratching her shoulder nervously. 

"It doesn't matter! Once you sign up, you can go on and off but you will remain a club member. I heard they're going to study the Immobilization Charm and a few others that might get them 'closer' to him." he added, quoting the girls. "You can get close to him that way, even get into his mind."

"I don't think I want to get into his mind." Ophelia said, her nose scrunching in discomfort. 

And so, only a week after Severus informed her of the change, as soon as she entered the classroom for her club activities, she was met with a dark, looming figure that stood as tall as Rabastan yet thinner which made him less dangerous in her point of view. Looking at him better, she was curious why Cissney liked him so much because even Sirius seemed more appealing than this guy. As he started to speak, Ophelia could only think how to be his partner in dueling so she could ask him about his father. 

"What are you doing here, Molley? Didn't you give up dueling because you're so bad at it?" 

"I don't remember seeing you here last year. What made you change your mind?" asked Ophelia in return, her expression giving away what she was thinking of. Katie scoffed and swayed her wand before the Gryffindor's eyes as if that could threaten her. Ophelia did keep her eyes on the stick, because it really looked like a stick compared to Idris' wand for example, but didn't say anything. Katie smirked proudly, the same smirk Ophelia saw at her brother, and moved in the front, where Zabini was getting ready.

"Hello, both old and new members! I'm sure some of you are surprised that Da Fu gave his position so easily but some of us just cannot balance school and club activities. Thus, my name is Enzo Zabini and I will take care of you from this day forward." he said, ready to implode with so much self confidence. "Well, let's begin. Choose a partner and let's see what you can remember from last week."

Ophelia stood there as students moved around her, none actually stopping in front of her. Gryffindors were avoiding her as if she was diseased and she had a vague impression that there was a rumor zooming around the Gryffindor Tower that she didn't pick up yet. Even so, not even one student approached her until she felt someone poke her with the tip of their wand.

"Did my brother send you again?" the familiar voice of Regulus Black reached her ears.

"What are you even doing here? You're a second year." she hissed although she looked relieved to see him. "Are you getting bullied this year too?" she asked, her tone changing slightly.

"No. That's why I'm here to learn how to protect myself. Why are you here? Don't you know how to duel already? My brother boasted about your skill during the summer break." Regulus explained, his last statement confusing Ophelia. 

"I need to ask you a favor. I won't defend myself, so use the stunning spell and send me flying right into Zabini." she said, her eyes widening as she told him her plan.

"Why? That's such a bad plan."

"Trust me. I know what I'm doing."

Regulus didn't look convinced but once the dueling begun, he complied. _Stupefy!_ , he exclaimed and just like she promised him, she didn't even grab her wand. The force was medium but it still sent her a few feet stumbling back. Since she wasn't hurt, she fell on her bottom and whined loudly, and very fake in Regulus' point of view. 

"So weak, Molley. Even a second year can push you down," Katie snarled but Ophelia's eyes moved on Zabini. She sighed when she figured he was not going to act like a gentleman and hurry to help her. No, he was a proud and selfish bastard who looked down at her as if she was the gum on the bottom of his shoe. She might have to focus her inner-Tom for this job.


	71. Enzo and the Zabinis

It might have been smarter to discuss it with Severus rather than act by herself, but since they were pressed by time Ophelia and James took matters into their own hands. It just happened none of them had any idea what they wanted to achieve from Zabini. 

It started with James acting suspicious during lunch and dinner (the only time he was in the same place with the older Slytherin) and it went so far as to ask other students about him; lousy students.

"So, Littlewood, I've been thinking about your crush on Zabini." He started in a louder voice than the short girl wished. 

"Why?" Lily asked eyeing the glasses boy before she turned to Sirius. To be frank, Black seemed to have other stuff to bother himself with such as a Hufflepuff sending him letters every day. 

Black, right. Ophelia was surprised when the letters started to come and come and come every freaking day. It was not from one girl from one house but several, even from Slytherin. It was odd how Sirius seemed to glow this year as if he found the cure to death. Luckily, the girls kept him busy enough for Potter to sneak around with Ophelia. 

"He's in the same year with Evan Rosier, right? Sixth year. You have little time left to snatch him for yourself. I'm only trying to help you here, to have at least one adventure in Hogwarts." Potter said with a smile not quite registering the fact that he offended his housemate several times in one paragraph.

Ophelia shook her head, feeling no need to correct him for he knew it wouldn't matter. On the other hand, she was curious what kind of person was this present Zabini. 

"He's not involved in the dark arts, I can tell you that much. But he's a good duelist and a better Quidditch player." Rabastan answered when she asked, right after dinner that day. She had to run to keep up his quick pace.

"Aren't you going to ask me why I'm suddenly interested in Zabini?" 

Rabastan only took a glance at her green eyes and shrugged.

"No need. I don't care." 

"What about the training in the Room of Requirement? Will I be informed when they begin again?" She asked hopefully. Rabastan sighed but didn't give her an answer.

On the way back to the common room she caught glance of Regulus going towards the kitchen. She raised an eyebrow but couldn't quite follow him because a messy Gryffindor ran up to her. It was no surprise to see Arthur Weasley run around with muggle stuff in his hands.

"What's wrong, Arthur? Is a Slytherin following you?" She asked taking a glimpse behind him.

"What? No! It's professor Eynon. He noticed my interest in muggles and has been giving me lots of objects to try out. Isn't he such a nice professor?" Arthur exclaimed his eyes sparkling in the light of the torches. 

Ophelia acknowledged the fact but did not know what to say in response. She took a quick look over the objects overflowing from Weasley's arms but they were all rather boring stuff. Ophelia bit her lip and gave up for the day.

It didn't go better afterwards. Potter would pester many students for information (although never Slytherins) and Ophelia found nothing to connect her to her new dueling master. Actually, she tried so hard to be bad at it that Regulus was growing annoyed. 

"Can you at least try once or twice? How can I know my level if you don't take it seriously?" He hissed while they were returning to the Great Hall for dinner.

"I do take it seriously but it's not like you will become better from the first few lessons. I'll test you at the end of the year." She said smiling thinking she did him a favour.

"Are you taking me for a joke? I am a Black, you know, one that is a lot more loyal to his roots than Sirius. I know some stuff about dueling." He added throwing her the nastiest look he could muster. To be frank, it did not look dangerous but quite cute in her view. 

"I'm not taking you for a fool but you know why I returned to that club. I need to know everything there is to know about Zabini." She said.

"And why is that, Molley?" 

The voice that interfered made the two youngsters stop in their tracks and slowly look over their backs. Right there were Zabini and Rosier and thankfully, Katie was not with them. 

"For-um- well, you see- I have a good reason for that." 

"Cannot wait to hear it." Said Rosier looking amused with the whole situation.

"Yeah, me too." Regulus commented getting a seriously annoyed glance from her.

"My f-friend has a crush on you...It's only natural I get my nose into her business and help with what I can." Ophelia said very slowly, regretting every word coming out her mouth. 

She could see Regulus shaking his head in disappointment but Zabini seemed to genuinely ponder on that answer.

"And who is this friend of yours? Aren't you surrounded by boys mostly?" Rosier asked with an eyebrow raised in intrigue. He was obviously having fun interrogating her.

"You seem to have noticed quite a lot of details then. Had Rodolphus instructed you to keep an eye out?" She asked genuinely curious.

"Even better," Rosier started with a smug smile, "It seems you have an admirer in the Slytherin house." 

Regulus glanced from the older colleague who suddenly became taller to her and then to Zabini, who seemed to be still in deep thought. It was strange because Ophelia seemed so concentrated on Rosier, as if she was trying to figure if he was messing with her or not.

"What about my friend, then? Should I tell her there is nothing remotely interesting about her crush and just give up? I mean, except duelling what's so good at you, Zabini?" Ophelia changed the subject, trying not to use legilimency to enter Rosier's mind.

"If you are so brave, Molley, maybe you should do better in club activities. Gryffindors have been whispering about your style, all about offence and no defence but all I have seen is a weakling, pretendig to duel instead of doing it for real." Zabini said looking into her green eyes. So then, he did notice she was letting Regulus do all the work.

"Why not make a deal then? If I win, you give my friend a chance." She said seeing an opening.

"And if I win, you do me a favor later on when I'll need it." Zabini said before both agreed on the terms.

When Ophelia arrived at the table she unconsciously sat in between Remus and Frank, the only boys she could count on in the Gryffindor house. She turned first to Remus and opened her mouth to ask him for advice but then she saw Rosier snicker at her from the Slytherin table. She turned to Frank and realized Cissney was just two seats across him. She licked her lips nervously and looked at her plate, wondering if Zabini will figure out the girl that had a crush on him was the same one that kept pestering students to vote for radio in the halls and Halloween balls. She was very involved in her duties as a member of the student council. 

"What's on your mind, Molley?" 

She was speechless how Potter could move seats and creep up into her personal space and whisper to her in a way that rose the hair on her hands.

"The usual." She answered before she leaned in, "I may have gotten Zabini interested in talking to me. But, there is a price."

"Littlewood?" 

"How did you know?" She asked taken by surprise but Potter nodded knowingly.

"I'm smart, Molley. And I knew it'll come down to her stupid crush. How will you handle this?" 

"Me? What about 'us'? You want to know about your father's friend a lot more than I do." Ophelia complained narrowing her eyes at him.

"I have my reasons and you have yours. In the end only results matter." He said as if he suddenly grew wise.

"Everything you just said is bullocks," she hissed, her whole face looking a lot like a pissed off cobra.

"Maybe but I know you won't give up on our little research. You finally consider me your friend, badge." He said proudly. The worst thing was that she couldn't deny it. That scoundrel Potter has successfully crawled under her skin.

* * *

It was interesting how everything unfolded afterwards. Potter was working more under the radar while Ophelia was all over the place with a target drawn on her back; literally. After finding that a Gryffindor had a crush on his friend, Rosier made it his mission to find out just who was the girl. A great kick was Ophelia and how she mentioned it was a friend of hers. What Rosier didn't expect was seeing how chatty she was with a lot of girls from her house but also other houses, like Ravenclaw. 

"Rab, why do you think Molley has gotten so close to your former girlfriend?" He asked watching Ophelia more or less try to keep a conversation with whatshername...he genuinely forgot and not only because she was a muggle born know-it-all. 

But Rabastan didn't even acknowledge the information, being busy enough with planning his own life. That didn't seem to faze Rosier who turned to his friend, Zabini.

"Remember how she said one of her friends had a crush on you? That was nice entertainment, wasn't it?" He asked and unlike the seventh year student, Zabini did answer.

"I don't care. Now that I remember, is there indeed a Slytherin that fancies her? I haven't heard of it."

"Actually, my sister mentioned one of her classmates taking an interest in Molley. I haven't seen it with my own eyes, but Katie doesn't just throw rumors around. It's usually the truth." Rosier said as he let his eyes wander down the Slytherin table. He found Severus eating silently next to Avery- he was taking glances at the Gryffindor table. The next one to be caught doing the same was Regulus, whose glances were turning into obvious stares. But Molley was at the Ravenclaw table at the moment and the only ones acknowledging that was himself, Zabini and Rabastan.

"You're wasting your time, mate." Zabini muttered as he finished his lunch. "I do not care for such trivial subjects. I have a club to run and I want to make myself a bright future."

"You could achieve a lot more if you just come with us, Enzo. He can give you more power than you can imagine. He can help you achieve a level far above anything at Hogwarts." 

Zabini rolled his eyes, having heard that speech several times before. And the reply was pretty much the same one.

"It's too troublesome. I'm not a rich pure blood like you, Lestrange or Black. For me, it will come down to petty missions that Rodolphus cannot be bothered with." He said, adding a valid point to his explanation.

Rosier found himself looking at Rabastan, who seemed far more attentive than before. He knew the two Lestrange brothers weren't in the best relation but they were family nonetheless.

"What do you say, Rab? Isn't Enzo too much of a coward? We should force him to one of our meetings to see for himself just what the Dark Lord means." Rosier said, snickering to himself in a way that made him look like he might need a tissue soon.

"You shouldn't speak so freely about our business." Rabastan answered his eyes wandering all around the Hall.

"Dumbledore doesn't seem bothered although he might suspect something." Rosier said with a scoff but Rabastan got up and looked over the Ravenclaw table. It didn't take a genius to realize that she has heard bits of the conversation and was now aware of what he had successfully hid from her from the beginning of the year.

Ophelia was appalled that Rabastan, whom she trusted deeply, kept her away from what she wanted to do, which was dark arts, but that was pushed in the back of her mind as she heard how vehement Zabini was against working under someone. He was a free spirit, in a way, and she could use that in her favour. That, and maybe get Cissney a date for the next Hogsmeade visit.

The problem was that as soon as she walked out the door to go to her usual meeting place with Severus, a wild Cissney Littlewood walked to her looking very worried.

"Have you heard? Somebody tried to burn the Fat Lady!"

"Did Potter try new spells out with Frank again?" Ophelia asked not yet alarmed.

"No. The only ones that caught sight of the culprit are paintings. The Fat Lady looks all burned out and she won't talk to anyone but Dumbledore." Cissney added, her eyes full of worry. "Don't you understand, Pheli? Someone tried to break into the Gryffindor common room."

Still Ophelia did not seem too bothered. In the end, nothing extremely bad happened and the Fat Lady was fine. Yet, she couldn't help but wonder if it had any connection with her father.


	72. House Elves Don't Knock Part 1

"Who do you think would have done such a horrible thing?" Frank asked next morning as soon as he sat at the table. 

The pass at destroying the entrance to the Gryffindor common room was the subject of the day as soon as the information spread.

"D'you think it was a Slytherin?" He added seeing how nobody seemed to be fully awake to speak about it.

"No. It's too risky, even for them." Alice said, not entirely sure if what she said really applied. "I mean, they have done lots of stuff but never something that would piss off an entire house and the headmaster." 

"It does seem a bit too drastic, even for Mulciber. Besides, the only real evil in the castle is busy with studying and whatnot so I doubt it was a Slytherin." Cissney said, having heard many theories already.

"What if it was a professor?" Potter pitched in, his eyes sending vibes across the table to his partner in crime. "I mean when did this happen before? Never. It's strange how it happened now when professor Eynon is teaching here." Potter added, looking at his friend for support.

"I dunno, mate. It sounds more like a student did it rather than an adult. I mean, even so, who would be so foolish to think that he could do it without being seen by other paintings? Or even the Fat Lady herself?" Sirius said, his dark eyes looking quite tired in the light. He did seem more bothered with his personal problems rather than school lately.

"What about you?" Ophelia asked leaning on her elbow.

"I'd never stoop so low, Molley. I have class." He said his eyes suddenly gaining their usual mischievous light. 

"What if she did it herself then?" Ophelia asked, placing another theory on the table. "She craves attention every so often with odd little shows. What if this one went wrong and she needs to save her pride by pointing at somebody else?" 

"But is she that desperate? I doubt it." 

"It doesn't matter since the headmaster has already taken control of the whole situation. We should concentrate on our classes." Remus said feeling like the discussion will never end.

Rumours about the Fat Lady incident didn't die through the day and it seemed like everybody had one or two theories about it. It was really strange to hear it every single class, Remus seemed to be ready to take a bite from his colleagues if one were to mention it again.

"Are you alright? You seem on edge." Alice asked him during History of Magic.

They were standing next to each other since Potter decided to sit next to Cissney. He had much to comment about her lack of activity when she wanted something and even from her seat in the back, Ophelia could hear Cissney sigh desperately. 

"I just wish students could be more silent about this subject. It's annoying how nobody concentrates." Remus answered, trying his best to sound normal but Alice was not reassured.

"Is Remus really alright?" Ophelia asked the person sitting next to her: Sirius. He didn't want to stay next to Pettigrew for some reason so the whole group was divided across the room.

"I don't know. I heard him pace around the room last night and he's been very sensitive this past week." Sirius said watching his friend's back with worry.

"What about you? Even Regulus has been more active than you. He's breaking rules in order to achieve whatever he desires." Ophelia  changed the subject, knowing Remus could hear. She saw his shoulders tense as soon as Sirius opened his mouth.

"I've been active," he said with a loose smirk. He thought she may get the hint and laugh it off but her face didn't twitch once. "Family business, Molley. Cannot talk about it."

"Is that why you haven't gotten involved into Potter's mission? You do know about it, I'm sure he speaks about it in the dormitory." 

"He does. But I'm not there enough to listen to it all."

"Then where are you?"

Sirius seemed ready to reply when the ghost of professor Binns turned his attention on the two, scolding them for not paying attention. That was the end of their conversation, for now.

As the day passed on, Ophelia noticed Remus growing crankier and Cissney was ready to run even at the mention of Potter's name. Sirius looked like a big ball of gloom and the Alice found it her mission to get Remus to open up to her. Even during lunch, she was pestering him although not violently like Cissney would. Frank was watching the two while sighing every so often and Pettigrew was talking to himself. It was all very odd.

"Are we cursed?" Asked Lily, seeing how the only people still acting normal were her and Ophelia.

"Maybe it's just puberty." Ophelia replied not quite interested. For all she knew, they were all just being secretive and dealing with their own issues. "Don't worry, Lily. Just hang out with Sev and go through your day as usually. I'm sure everything will come back to normal." 

Lily smiled thankfully but Ophelia's words, although they came on as good natured and soft, were thrown without much care. What really caught her eye was the broad shouldered seventh year Slytherin that just got up from the table and walked away. It was still early but she wanted to ask him about the Room, that or enter his mind quickly for the answer. 

"I'll see you in class!" The green eyed girl shouted before hurrying out the door. 

"Lestrange!" She shouted after him, drawing attention to herself. "Lestrange, wait! Rabastan!" 

The students that were in the Entrance Hall were surprised to have a Gryffindor scream after the imposing Slytherin. It was Lestrange, even if it was the better one of the two brothers, it was still very peculiar.

Since she was being foolish, Rabastan stopped and waited for her to catch up. He glanced at her over his shoulder and sighed.

"I want to come to the Room. I need to learn dark arts." She went straight into the subject.

"No."

"I'm not afraid of a few Slytherins, or Bellatrix, or really anybody as long as I can participate. I won't embarrass myself and I will try to stay in my own little shadowy corner." She continued, her eyes glinting eagerly in the torch light.

"You could come when your father allowed it. But now he is busy with something else. When time comes, you will be taught again. Just go duel Zabini for now. It's better than hoping you will enter that Room while Slytherins are inside."

"So what, if my father wants something I am obliged to do it but if I want something, I need his approval?" She hissed. 

"That's family, Molley. You better get used to it." He said and left. 

Ophelia remained behind with wide eyes. It was such a shock that she couldn't even fully comprehend.

"I have had a family before," she hissed feeling this was such an offense towards the Molleys.

She remained like that for the rest of the day, even during Potions when Slytherins started to mock her for not being able to focus. It happened several times that Severus had to interfere and stop her from blowing them all up. He could see the tension and sadness surrounding her and he was curious what could have somebody told her.

On the other side, Potter noticed her mood too and the way Severus was trying to lessen the aftermath. It wasn't until they went into the common room that he stopped her downstairs and more or less forced her to sit on the sofa. 

"Alright, tell me. What did Mulciber tell you? He must have told you something. Was it about your parents?" He asked stubbornly. She tried to get away but Alice and Lily sat on each side blocking her.

"Really, I'm not in the mood. I just want to go to bed." She said tiredly.

"Not before you tell us why you've been so angry today." Alice said softly.

"Look, I know care and everything but maybe if you cared _enough_ you wouldn't be prying in anyone's personal life. I decide if I want to share my issues with you and I obviously don't want to. So just go bother yourself with your own life and leave me breathe! Blimey, you have done the same to Remus the whole day while **you** -" she turned to Potter, "Couldn't give a care that maybe instead of making me do everything, your best friend Black has avoided you the whole term! Really, be more attentive to people who matter not a guy that will come and go within one year." 

Ophelia finished her angry rant, glared at all of them and walked out the common room. Everybody was left speechless until Lily mumbled a few words that sounded a lot like  _we're cursed._

* * *

Ophelia walked around for a few hours and by the time she returned into the common room, it was long past curfew.

Sensing that she might have been a bit too harsh with her house mates just because she was denied what she wanted, Ophelia started to feel like a brat. She was angry because her father, the one person who seemed so overly eager to teach her the dark side of magic, was too busy with his own plans to give her attention. And because of that Rabastan was too much of a coward to let her do it anyway, as if her father could find out from miles away. Huh! 

The 14 years old girl scoffed as she fell back on the arm chair next to the window. It was so infuriating that she had to submit to someone or something when she could as well do whatever she wanted and face the repercussions later. What could her father do anyway? He wasn't going to kill her...was he? 

Her eyes fell on her ring and she shuddered, for no reason really. It must have been a bit breezy in the room...when she looked up she found the short figure of a house elf. Two bright green eyes were watching her with the same glint of happiness as last time, even if he was fidgeting nervously.

"...has your master sent you again?"

"Miss has to be careful. Master sent Dobby to make sure- um- that Miss Ophelia is safe." He tried his hardest not to give himself out but it was obvious he wanted to say more. 

"Your master seems to be keeping a close eye on me."

"Master ordered Dobby to make sure that Miss is well entertained or else-" he stopped, realizing what he said and quickly grabbed a book off the near desk and started to his himself with it. "Bad Dobby! Don't say more! Master ordered!" 

"Wait- stop, blimey, Dobby!" She tried to take the book from him but he was quite strong for his weight. "Dobby, what sort of entertainment? What do you mean?" She asked finally taking it and throwing it across the room. 

"All sorts...Master said to be creative..." he answered in a meek voice, looking guilty. Then Ophelia understood and she couldn't help but frown. 

"Did you by any chance burn the Fat Lady?" She asked in a low tone.

Dobby looked even more guilty, fidgeting as he looked anywhere but her eyes. 

"Dobby!" She hissed, making the creature take a few steps back.

"M-Miss has to know it was ordered. I-I had to do what Master said. Miss is hard to scare so it had to be something big." He said.

"Was that all? Or did you do more and I'm about to find out?" 

Dobby's eyes lowered as if to ask forgiveness. She sighed and controlled herself. 

"Tell me."

"Um- Dobby noticed the boy that disappears during full moons and I just...soaked his socks in wolfsbane powder. And maybe used some other powders in his food...And maybe Miss should not use her cauldron from now on..."

Ophelia stared at the house elf with a poker face but Dobby could see her eyes darkening in anger. He gasped as he remembered how the red eyes in his master's home passed his form once and froze at how alike they were. 

"Dobby didn't want to do it but...Master wants Miss Ophelia to get busy and forget about the dark arts. And..."

"And?"

"There is danger approaching. They do many bad things but they especially want him dead." Dobby said, knowing he could say as much.

"Idris?" She asked but Dobby shook his head. She sighed as she remembered another, "Is it the black cat? Is that kitten still in the castle?" 

Dobby's eyes widened and he yelped. He walked to the sofa and started to hit his head against it. 

"Dobby is so sorry! Dobby didn't mean to say more than Master ordered!" He moaned as he continued to hit his head. 

The noise was a lot bigger than expected and someone woke up. Ophelia reached to pull the house elf into hiding but he flicked his fingers and disappeared. 

"What's that noise?" Asked a seventh year girl that looked like she was still in her dreams.

"Nothing. Sorry, I just fell asleep here and had a nightmare." Ophelia replied, growing quite good at making up excuses. The girl yawned and returned to her bed while Ophelia stayed downstairs for the rest of the night. 

* * *

As soon as morning came, she washed quickly and changed into comfortable clothes. It was the weekend before their Christmas break and she heard most students wanted to go out to Hogsmeade. 

"Are you sure you don't want to come?" Lily asked watching her friend closely. 

"No." 

Her short answer did not seem to match her usual behavior. But still nobody stayed mad after Ophelia's little moment last night and Lily was way too kind to let her remain in her bad disposition. 

"Are you alright? Do you want us to stay back and chat about it?" Lily added worried that Ophelia felt bad or had some type of problem.

"I'm fine. You go enjoy yourselves. I'll go study in the library." 

Even Potter had to throw her a questionable look because no matter how many times he saw her studying, it was never on weekends. 

Not everybody went out, though. As soon as Ophelia walked out, she saw Sirius trying to avoid everyone but especially the Hufflepuffs. She crept behind him and placed a hand on his shoulder, scaring him.

"Is that the real reason you have been so absent this year?" She asked bemusedly. They both glanced at the group of Hufflepuff girls and kept their eyes on them until they left the corridor. 

"No. It is my mother, if you really want to know."

"You made me write bad letters to her and you saw me at the Malfoy Manor during last Christmas. I believe you can tell me even if it's uncomfortable."

"It's not. It's just, she's been tormenting me with letters. She moans about how disrespectful I am for not going to those stupid meetings in the Room of Requirement. I'm surprised Dumbledore doesn't say anything with the whole school being aware of it."

"Oh...everybody knows about it?" She asked, finally placing the pieces together.

"Yes. Slytherins cannot shut up about it every time they bully some Ravenclaw kid. They're too proud to keep it secret." 

Ophelia blinked as she thought more about it. Was that why she wasn't allowed to go? Was that why her father and Rabastan were ignoring her demands? It did make sense...

"Anyway, I heard you're still going to the Dueling Club and now Zabini is the Duel Master."

"And allows everyone to come, your brother being the most excited." She said refocusing on the boy in front of her. 

"The pride of the family, what can I say. Is he good?" 

"He improves fast. But I haven't been the nicest partner and let him win most times." 

"He hates that."

"Yeah. He told me."

"You do talk to my brother a lot, don't you? I'm sure your name will be thrown at dinner during Christmas. That if you won't suddenly come with Malfoy again." He joked but did eye her in a way that told her he was expecting a surprise nonetheless.

"No. I want to go home."

* * *

The library was a lot quieter now that even the most studious kids went out for a break. Very few remained in the castle and most of them were seventh years. Ophelia hoped in a way that Rabastan was in the library too but that did not happen. Instead, she found Rosier with his sister, another girl that Ophelia didn't know and Nott. 

Rosier noticed her right away and waved at her as if they were friends. He then watched her sit at another desk and quickly whispered something to the others that made them rise and come sit with her. 

"How's going, Molley?"

"You didn't have to move here just to ask me that. We're in the library, we should be quiet." She answered grumpily, looking very uncomfortable. 

"Madame Pince is all the way over there and we are all the way over here. I'll be quiet-ish after you answer me." He said with a boyish grin. It was so odd to have him standing on one side while Nott was on the other and the two girls across her. She was surrounded by Slytherins in casual clothes. Well, Nott was more formal for some reason, like he wanted to go out on a date but changed his mind. 

"I'm fine. I want to study for Potions. I'm sure you know I strongly dislike it."

"You suck at it badly. Professor Slughorn uses you as an example of how not to be." Katie added just to emphasize Ophelia's lack of skill. 

"It's better to be very skilled at a few particular things that eventually help you in your career rather than have equal, common skill at everything." Ophelia fired back knowing it will offend the girl. 

She did glare at Ophelia and might have said something if it wasn't for her brother, who gave her a stern look that silenced her. 

"So then Molley, what are these particular skills that you have?" He asked sounding genuinely curious.

"Keeping a secret, for instance. The whole school knows about the dark arts lessons, even the professors." She said trying to gain some information. 

"Yet they do not warn us, stop us or even acknowledge us. They know, too, that they are inferior to what is coming." He said, Nott tensing at how Rosier's voice changed. It was colder yet excited, like a psychopath was sharing his plans with her.

"And what is coming?" She asked looking straight into his eyes.

"The Dark Lord will purify Hogwarts and the whole wizarding world." 

Nott seemed to have frozen next to her as did the girls. Rosier's dark eyes were not as scary as she expected them to get but she could see madness and she took that as a threat. She could feel a tingling sensation in her hands and quickly put them on her lap. 

"Good for him." She said as if she was not touched at all by his words. "Well then, I'll find another place to study." She said and left quickly. 

She didn't know if they believed she ran in fear or not but the truth was that her fingers felt like they were on fire. She entered the first bathroom she found and threw her fingers under cold water. Nothing happened and instead, little flames started to come out of her fingertips. The flames were green, which didn't surprise her as she had seen green fire before. As she moved her fingers, she realized the fire started to change shape and flicker. She pushed her right hand on the mirror and watched how the flames went up her hand to her elbow before they retreated in her palm. Growing braver, she turned around and whispered _Expecto Patronum_. It was overwhelming what happened next: the fire crawled up her fingers and shot out, going in circles at first before turning blue. The form shaped itself much faster and much clearer than when she used her wand. She realized that maybe her magic was filtered when using a wand and that was why it was so hard to control it without one. Last time Ophelia's Patronus looked much like a fox but now it looked more like a hound. 

The door opened and voices interrupted her concentration. She shook her hand and it was all over. She literally sprinted out of there and wandered the castle for a while. The girl had a lot in her mind but she was also curious if the kitten was still there. She searched for it for a few hours and in the end found nothing. Instead, she was found by Zabini. He looked like he was out and about before he returned to the castle in good spirits. 

"Molley! Let's have our duel Friday, before everybody leaves for the break." He said and left as if he couldn't care if she had anything else planned.

By Friday everybody knew about the duel. The Gryffindors especially were making bets on how long Zabini would last. 

"I say, maximum 5 minutes. That's enough for a bunch of curses." A first year said, his name Robert or something.

"Or even less. I say around 2? Maybe 3?" Another second year said, his name George maybe.

"Hey, why do people make bets on me? What rumor has been going around?" She asked her friends once she sat next to them in the common room.

"They say you are crazy good at dueling." Frank said, trying to focus on a dragon toy that looked very realistic. Arthur Weasley had one too and the two dragons seemed to get into a weird fight. "Yeah, fry him Neville!" 

"What kind of name is Neville?" Cissney asked being the closest to him. 

"I'll name my kid Neville one day. He'll make me proud, just like this dragon." He said, furrowing his eyebrows in concentration. 

Cissney rolled her eyes at his childishness.

"I hope my kid will be good at Quidditch." She said surprising everyone. "What? I like it, even if I don't play."

"Zabini plays too. I heard he is very good." Ophelia commented.

"He's a freaking beast, you should see him. Maybe next year they'll let James play for real." Pettigrew said high-fiving his friend.

"I need a Prewett to graduate already and that will be it. They will need me, not that they don't already."

"I heard that!" Shouted one of the Prewett brothers from across the room. 

"Anyway, are you mentally prepared to face him? It's not only about skills but also about pride. He's respected as a good duelist and even teaches students in the Dueling Club. If he loses, he may not take it well." Lily bluntly put that on the table. Everyone got silent and turned to Cissney. She seemed to be weighting between her crush and her friend. 

"I can't wait!" she said with fake excitement.


	73. House Elves Don't Knock Part 2

As soon as she woke up Friday morning, Ophelia got encouragements from many known and unknown students. 

"Why is it such a big deal? A kid from Ravenclaw brought me flowers as soon as he saw me in the Entrance Hall." She moaned feeling like attention was not her specialty.

"I think it's nice. They all want you to win."

"So they can also win." Pettigrew said, getting a kick as response. "It's the truth!"

Ophelia groaned and threw her flowers over the chubby boy before she hit her head on the table. Once, twice and she couldn't a third time because Remus put his hand on her forehead and softened the blow. She turned to look at him and saw that he seemed a lot calmer than the days before. 

"If you were good or even average at potions, you could have prepared a Felix Felicis." Sirius threw that into conversation. 

"Liquid Luck." Remus added seeing how she was not responding. She scoffed and raised her head.

"You should have told me about it this whole week not now, hours before the duel."

"When is the duel anyway?" Asked Lily growing quite worried. She was good at that, being worried.

"When his majesty desires." Ophelia replied feeling doomed.

That proved to take a while because Zabini preferred to be in time for every class. It was only after dinner that he sent after her and they all moved in the Clockyard. 

"Do the professors know about this?" She asked him, walking in the middle of it.

"Of course not. That's why we have to end it as fast as possible." He said nonchalantly, throwing her a bored look. "Are you prepared, Molley?"

"No. Are you?" She didn't know why she asked that, really.

"No. I don't know your level since you never dueled seriously during club activities." 

She could feel Regulus sigh and roll his eyes somewhere in the crowd. 

"Well, let's begin shall we?" He asked walking a few feet from her and facing her while raising his wand elegantly. 

Thankfully, she remembered to bring hers along or else it would have been awkward. Actually, it was Severus that reminded her during their last class. 

* * *

It came fast and the light from his wand was blinding. 

"Stupefy!" He yelled but she was fast. Her reflexes from when she trained with Rodolphus were still kicking.

"Difendo!" She said quickly. It was not easy, though because Zabini was throwing spell after spell. It was all attack and not much defense. 

"Confringo!" He yelled again, almost getting her but she ran from his sight and hid behind a column, almost getting someone else hurt in the process.

"Immobulus!" He screamed again, getting closer but she ran again and someone else got hit. "Let's not make collateral damage, Molley."

"Better him than me!" She shouted in the moment. 

Zabini rolled his eyes as he saw her sprint for a corner of the yard that had less students in. As soon as she got there she had to both duck from a jet of water before she had to jump to the side from a huge flame.

"God, why do I have to duel him in front of everybody?" She mumbled feeling all the eyes judging every movement. 

As she duck again she heard her father's voice telling her not to disappoint him. It sounded so real that she turned to search for his eyes. While she was preoccupied with her own issues, Zabini crept towards her and hit her with _Stupefy_ again only she turned right in time and protected herself. As soon as she did that, she pointed her wand at him and in matter of second she mumbled, _Depulso_. Zabini was thrown a few feet from her and with a lot more power than he expected. She screamed _Flipendo_! But luckily Zabini used a defending spell as he rose and ran to the side seeing how she was attacking now. 

"Bombarda!" He shouted but it didn't even reach her before she literally blew it aside. Zabini frowned as he got closer to her. "Depulso! Expelliarmus!" He shouted and the latter did reach her but she grabbed back her wand in very fast accio movements. It was crazy how fast she was now compared to her usual performance in the club. "You have been slacking during club activities, Molley!" 

"For good reasons!" She shouted back in her normal voice.

Severus was watching from the side, next to Lily. None was shocked by Ophelia's agility because both have seen her duel before. Her entire year has been tutored by Spinnard during detention and it was obvious he did a good job. Even so, it was surprising how much she improved by herself. 

Rabastan knew it was all Rodolphus' savage training that led Ophelia to be so quick and act while planning at the same time. He couldn't help in that moment but respect his older brother; Ophelia proved to be his best student.

"Lumos!" She shouted suddenly and made such bright light that no one could see the duelists. "Depulso!" She screamed before she also did something that she shouldn't have. With the tip of her wand still enlightening the whole yard too bright to peek inside, she said very, very softy _Crucio_. Because he couldn't see well, he only deflected the first and did not see the second coming. Zabini's eyes widened as he crashed on the ground, trembling from every corner of his body and blood dripping from his nose. It was painful, incredibly so, and he gave a loud scream that drew gasps from the viewers.

Ophelia heard them too because she ran to his aid and found him barely conscious. Fearing that she might get unwanted attention and Zabini's pride will shatter, she panicked and took an awful decision. While still containing the bright light, she grabbed his wand and closed her eyes as she hit herself with _Petrificus Totalus_ , thus ending the duel. The light diminished gradually and let the viewers see the result. Both duelists were on the ground but Zabini was still moving, unlike petrified Ophelia. 

* * *

In the end both had to be sent to the infirmary, one in a worse condition than the other. Ophelia was dismissed in a matter of minutes but she chose to stay the night so it won't look incriminatory.

"What did you hit him with? His scream was loud." Lily asked being one of the two allowed to stay more with her.

"I can't remember, maybe Immobulus or Confringo. It was a mess." She lied through her teeth.

The other student that was allowed to stay more with her was Remus and he didn't look convinced. One glance was enough to know there was dark magic in what hit Zabini.

"What happened here?!" McGonagall's voice filled the whole space as soon as she entered the hospital wing with Slughorn, Idris and Dumbledore. "Oh my, Molley! And-" her eyes widened when she saw Zabini's wounds. McGonagall glanced at her student as if she knew what happened and there was fear in her eyes. Ophelia was sure she saw it in Slughorn's too. 

"Well, I did hear students talking eagerly about a duel between Miss Molley and Mr. Zabini. I'll take it upon myself since I could have stopped it." Idris said leaving the whole room in complete silence. Ophelia was speechless.

"Is that so...?" Dumbledore asked but his eyes were stuck on Ophelia not Idris. She felt as if she wanted to dig a hole and hide in it because Dumbledore could see past her silence. He could also see guilt which made him smile softly. "In that case you should take responsibility, Idris. Let's leave now and let them rest. I trust their punishment with the heads of their houses." 

As the two incredibly tall men left the room, Ophelia felt her heart lighter. That vanished when she turned to look at her professor.

"I can't believe you let yourself be drawn into such a mess Molley. 50 points from Gryffindor and prepare yourself for a week of detention and extra homework for your break." She said and trotted away. Slughorn didn't stay much more and left too but not without throwing a quick look at her hand. The ring was shining proudly on her finger and he knew her father had witnessed it all. 

The rest of the school did not figure out the truth. Because Zabini was still moving when the duel ended, yet still hurt, it was vague if he won or it was a tie. Anyway, everyone who placed their bets on Ophelia lost. She got many nasty calls in the corridor, some from Slytherins who were angry that she had the guts to attack their house mate and some by the rest of the school. 

"Two days and everyone leaves." Alice said patting her shoulder encouragingly.

"Most of them, not all." Pettigrew added getting another kick under the table. "At least you leave too, right Molley?"

He barely finished his sentence when Willy flew in with the mail. She usually didn't get letters at school but it seemed that was an exception. 

As soon as she opened it, she felt like hitting herself with the cruciatus curse too.

_Dear Ophelia,_

_I am disappointed but there is no other choice nor an easy way to put it. You should not come home this break. Believe me, I wish otherwise and I miss you but some things happened. I'm really really sorry. Please enjoy your holidays at school and write me back what you want for Christmas. I'll make sure you get lots of presents! Say hello to James from me, doodle ooh!_

_Knowingall_

She read to herself as she grasped the parchment tightly.

"I cannot believe this..." she whispered to herself.

One bad thing did not come alone.

* * *

Monday came around and Ophelia couldn't believe that she had to say good bye to her friends in the common room rather than the train. She waved and smiled as if it didn't matter where she'd stay for Christmas...but it did. 

Once everyone left, she sighed and sat in front of the fireplace. It was awful.

"Miss would like a cup of cocoa?" 

Ophelia sighed with a sour expression when she turned her head and was met by two blue doe eyes, staring at her with the same amount of interest and care as Dobby. It seemed that house elves hardly ever knocked when visiting. Her eyes fell on his hands and she smiled seeing the cocoa he was holding carefully as not to drip.

"Dylis...thank you," she said as she grabbed the mug from him.

Dylis was not like other elves, he was loyal and very formal but he was also picking up certain traits from Cerberus. It was not every day that a house elf would sit down so comfortably.

"Mr. Cerberus knows he saddened you greatly and he is very sorry. But he has no choice, Miss. Miss Ophelia is in grave danger if she goes back. The shadows are lurking around the house." He said as he shuddered at the memory. 

"Shadows as in dark wizards?" 

"Dementors too. Mr. Cerberus doesn't know why they are acting so."

"It's my father, isn't it? It sounds like something he would do. But why?" She only thought for a moment before she remembered what Dobby said. "He's searching for Peverell, isn't he? For the black kitten." 

Dylis nodded as he eyed her carefully.

"Is miss alright? Is miss hurt? Should Dylis bring the-"

"No, no, I'm fine. You should see the other guy." She joked and laughed to herself at the muggle joke. The room fell silent once she remembered her muggle parents and how they were murdered in cold blood. "Is Cerberus safe?"

Dylis nodded with a wide smile. He was very fond of Cerberus. 

"Miss shouldn't worry. She'll always be safe." He said with genuine care which touched her deeply. At the same time she couldn't help but worry for the people around her, the ones her father had no problem hurting. 

The beginning of the break was not bad. Almost everyone left. Zabini was kept in the hospital until Wednesday, when she saw him move around freely. As soon as he entered the Great Hall he saw her and continued to glance at her every so often while eating. In the end he came to her and sat next to her.

"You're insane, Molley. But that was one unpredictable duel." He said in a voice that did not sound angry but not happy either. "You should help the students during club activities when they ask. If not, I prefer you don't show yourself at all." He added in a stricter tone.

"I'm sorry I used-"

"Let's meet in the library after dinner. We should talk. I know you want that." He said and went back to his friends. It was interesting seeing him hang out with some Ravenclaws.

* * *

Ophelia was a very blunt young girl so as soon as she sat across Zabini, she didn't even care who was around and just asked.

"Can you tell me about your uncle?"

"My uncle? Why do you want to know about him? How do you even know him?" 

Ophelia bit her lip and decided she might as well tell the truth in a way.

"I recently came into the possession of a part of an article about a boy that was pushed off from the Astronomy Tower. His name was Zabini."

He seemed to think about it for a moment before he actually started to speak.

"My family doesn't speak about that incident. I don't even know what was his name but I know that my father despised him. They also got very well with the Ministry after that, as a show of respect for Dumbledore's ignorance." Zabini said sounding like he did try to get the same information once before.

"So then, what do you know?" She asked hoping it wasn't all a waste of time.

"I know he had a fight with somebody up there before he died. He was having a quarrel with his boyfriend and they must have gotten pretty fired up. The rest, you probably have read already." 

But Ophelia's attention was still stuck on one tiny detail.

"B-Boyfriend? Your uncle was in a relationship with a man?" She stuttered as she said those words out loud.

"Didn't expect that, did you Molley?" He asked smugly, leaning back with a proud expression. "But that's not the reason he was such a disappointment to the family. The problem was the boyfriend's past. They say he was a low level wizard whose father was a muggle and mother was a-"

"Veela?" She asked already knowing the answer.

"Yes. The Veela part was nice but his muggle father was a murderer. A witch hunter, more exactly. He was from a long line of descendants from Salem. That is why they forced my uncle to break up with him. He probably did and look what happened." 

Zabini said all of this very calmly, as if it wasn't his family that was so twisted in their beliefs. It was odd how homosexuality was accepted but not having a witch hunter father in law. 

"Well, thanks. It definitely put things in perspective." She said hoping she didn't sound too suspicious. 

"By the way, Molley, take extra care around Rosier from now on. He is a sick bastard, even with his house mates." Zabini said leaning over the table with a serious look and a glint in his eyes, one that wanted to reach her and tell her exactly how dangerous it was.

"Why?" She asked, her whole demeanor changing.

Seeing how she took the threat, how her whole body became rigid and her eyes lost all life, he sighed and shrugged.

"Maybe you'll be alright. But once Evan takes an interest in something, he usually has to destroy it. Right now, he wants to know your secrets."

"As in who has a crush on you?" 

"That's the Littlewood girl, isn't it?" His answer was a faint blush from the brown haired girl, "I'll repay your dueling skills by going on a date with her. But that's it." He said seeming like such a nice guy.

Ophelia couldn't help but think it was way too much kindness for one day, maybe even one year, so she quickly walked away to think about Potter. He was going to go nuts when he will find out the truth.


	74. Lucius the Wise

The rest of the week was more or less uneventful. Ophelia kept close to the students she knew, luckily for her some of her former Occlumency colleagues chose to stay back and she enjoyed talking to them. As soon as that was over, she'd go around the castle searching for Peverell. It was odd, yes, and it was even worse when people would actually catch her in the act. Filtch caught her twice on Tuesday and warned her that he will hang her up in his office if he were to find her make weird cat noises again. He probably thought it was a prank for his precious Mrs. Norris but Ophelia couldn't care less for that ugly cat.

Friday, 25th, Christmas Day was one interesting day. Nobody died compared to last year (and she was grateful) but Dumbledore called her in his office. As soon as she got in, she met the grey eyes of Lucius Malfoy.

"Am I in trouble?" She asked glancing from one man to the other.

Dumbledore chuckled bemusedly and shook his hand dismissively. 

"Not more than usually. But this young man came here today to ask permission to invite you to enjoy the rest of the holidays with him and his family." He said slowly as if to register again what Lucius asked and if he was fine with it, "What say you, Ophelia? It is your choice." 

It was visible for anybody that she was meddling into her father's affairs more if she was by herself rather than being with a lesser evil, like Malfoy or Lestrange. Dumbledore saw her eyes sparkle at the invitation and at the way he made it seem like it was alright. 

"Can I really go? I'd love to, if I am invited."

"I'm here, aren't I?" Lucius asked rolling his eyes.

Ophelia smiled, having missed his sassy attitude. He might have been a jerk before -he still was if she were to be sincere- but he was a person she trusted, one that she could rely on. 

And so it happened. In matter of hours, Ophelia was in the Malfoy Manor, house elves helping her unpack in the room she used last year. It was thrilling to be there now that she knew who her father was but there were also little every day things that she was looking forward to. Like house elves bringing her tea or coming to bring her laundry out of nowhere. 

"I wouldn't have invited you if I knew it would make you so happy," Lucius commented from the door. "You always let your door open."

"And you never knock. You and house elves..." she replied thinking of Dobby. 

"They are supposed to work in utter silence. They are disciplined to be slaves, not friends." He explained in a cold voice, as if the subject was not worthy of mentioning. "Anyway, have you got it? Are all your questions answered?" 

"What do you mean?" She asked, finally placing her last shirt into the drawer.

"The article. I had to search long through my family's library in order to find any mention of an obscurus at Hogwarts." 

Her eyes widened and she finally realized why Dobby was so familiar to begin with.

"Blimey, you exploit the little creatures to no end! Poor Dobby!" She exclaimed, before she remembered another detail. Her eyes narrowed at the blond and she added in a hiss, "You ordered him to keep me busy so that I won't get involved into the Peverell hunt. You told him to be creative." She pointed out, her expression growing angry. 

But Lucius couldn't bother with her issues. Whenever he did, it would usually place him in an awkward position and he hated the fact that he couldn't even stay mad at her. 

"That's in the past. Dobby shouldn't have told you so much, I will take care of him later when you're gone." He said as if that was no big deal, "You're here because your father allows it."

"Oh," she said, suddenly feeling like her impression of young Malfoy was wrong. She was there because of Tom, obviously. 

Seeing how her expression saddened he sighed and rolled his eyes.

"Of course, I was getting tired of having to send Dobby whenever I had to tell you something. It's best to have you near when so many things have happened." 

That was not kind nor well thought but she took it as a sign that he wanted her there too. 

"Anyway, get ready for dinner. The guests will come soon. It's not the Black family but one that recently gained interest in our cause."

"The one about purifying the wizarding society?" She asked as she rolled her eyes sarcastically. Lucius seemed stunned of the words she used to describe it.

"And who said that?" He asked knowing she will never express herself in such an arrogant way.

"Rosier. Tell me he's not going to pop up from the chimney," she said suddenly aware that it may happen for all she knew.

"No. This family is-" he stopped for a good reason. "You'll see." He said before he left her to drown in curiosity.

The Malfoy Manor was just like she remembered, with house elves stumbling over each other in order to please their masters while odd looking wizards would come and go based on whatever they needed. While walking towards the living room, she passed one extremely tall guy with fur over his face, eyes sharp as if he was a cat and fangs that shined in the light as he snickered at her reaction. She stopped and continued to stare at him until he took a right and disappeared from her sight. 

"My father won't enjoy seeing you in the same dress as last year." Lucius said in such a quiet voice that it surprised the young girl. She jumped and needed a few seconds to regain her calm. 

"Don't sneak up on me. You're lucky I didn't fry you," she mumbled, re-arranging her hair. She did try to look as elegant as she could by herself for this dinner.

"You're also lucky that this family hasn't seen you before. At least, not all of them."

"What do you mean?" She asked as they descended the stairs. 

The doorbell rung, just like last Christmas, and an overworked house elf answered. Ophelia waited with anticipation for whoever they were to unveil their identity. Two adults entered, that was fine, and then their only child followed and Ophelia couldn't help but gasp.

"Cissney?!" She asked a lot louder than intended.

* * *

The shock of having popular, student council representative, Zabini lover Cissney Littlewood in the Malfoy Manor was hard to process. Ophelia couldn't stop herself from gawking at how her parents seemed to fit so well with the Malfoys. 

"I'm glad you finally understand the reasons behind what the Dark Lord intends to do. The purebloods at the ministry are too narrow minded to imagine such a sight." Mr. Malfoy started as they finished their dessert. "Of course, they will open their eyes soon." 

Ophelia rolled her eyes with an ironic expression, drawing Mrs. Littlewood's attention. Cissney was fidgeting next to her mother, trying to be as invisible as possible.

"I'm honoured to have been invited today, Malfoy. I assure you, I will talk to my acquaintances at the ministry and get them to join us." Mr. Littlewood said with a content smile which made Malfoy gleam with satisfaction. 

"Would you like to have tea in my office? We have much to discuss." 

"Muggles to murder..." Ophelia muttered, receiving a wide eyed look from Cissney and a punch in the arm from Lucius.

"Behave," he whispered although he didn't seem like he was annoyed. "Wait until my father is out of sight and then you can do whatever you want." He added, urging her to get up when the adults rose.

While the parents walked in the back of the hall, chatting bemusedly about this and that, Ophelia turned to the girl that looked so out of place.

"What in Merlin's beard, Cissney!?" 

Ophelia couldn't bother with noise anymore, knowing that as long as she wasn't attacking anybody the parents won't hear a thing.

"I can ask you the same thing! What are you doing here? With him, out of everybody at Hogwarts! I thought you stayed behind at school this break." Cissney started, using her scolding tone. 

"It was unexpected. I just arrived today." She defended herself. "Lucius and I, we are-" Ophelia stopped and glanced at the boy. He seemed to be curious what she believed their relationship was like. "We are...friends." 

Cissney crossed her arms in front of her chest and nodded skeptically. 

"Since the Littlewood family has joined the cause, it is not a problem to admit our friendship." Lucius added, one eye on Cissney and one on Ophelia. The latter seemed content with his comment.

"Do you even know what the _cause_ is, Cissney? They want to regain the power and go back to Grindelwald's ideas of exposing the wizarding community. They want to treat muggles and muggle borns like dirt." Ophelia hissed at her friend, her whole appearance shifting into a mirror of her father's pissed off look.

Cissney sighed, terrified from the looks of it.

"I didn't know that. I didn't even know where we were going until I saw the front lawn. I just know my father had had terrible years at work and he got tired of it." Cissney explained, not daring looking up at the blond boy. "I do not enjoy being here."

"Good. Blimey, Cissney, I knew you had a soft spot for Slytherins but really...Zabini isn't even involved!"

"How do you know that?"

"We...had a chat in the library. It wasn't about you, it was about something completely different, connected to our duel." 

"You dueled Zabini?" Lucius asked, sitting on the couch nonchalantly. "Who won?"

"Nobody." Cissney said turning to Ophelia. "That's what the whole school believes, anyway."

"I- right. That's true. We were both on the ground, in pain." 

Lucius raised an eyebrow as if asking her if that was true to which Ophelia only gave him an 'I'll tell you later' look. 

"Enzo is a lenient Slytherin. He's smart but he doesn't like to risk more than he can gain. It's all a bet with him: either he is interested, or he is not." Lucius explained, meddling into their business out of boredom more than interest.

"I noticed," Ophelia mumbled. But Cissney seemed incredibly disheartened as she listened to Lucius' description. 

The blond boy glanced between the two Gryffindors, wondering just how much this dinner will affect them on a long time period and then, when he found nothing else to say to break Cissney's trust in Ophelia even more, he got up, wiping his clothes of any dust that had the chance to get on him. 

"Enzo likes girls with secrets. This arrangement may turn to be in your favour too, Littlewood." He said with a proud smirk and walked out, letting the girls talk and ponder on his words.

Cissney's eyes trailed after the blond and rested on the door after he closed it behind himself. She has liked Zabini for a long time now and she knew he never looked twice at her. Now, she heard that her house mate had a chat with him after their duel and she started to feel very self aware. Turning to look at Ophelia, Cissney realized that what was once a sour grape, boring and secretive girl was growing into a sociable, likeable, secretive young lady.

"How did you get here, Ophelia? I know you were tutored by Rabastan in Potions but I never imagined you with Malfoy." She asked feeling like there was so much she didn't know.

"I never said Slytherins are bad. Everyone knows I'm good friends with Severus and Regulus."

"That doesn't answer my questions!" 

Cissney couldn't believe just how many things were happening that she didn't know about. She was aware of everything at Hogwarts but not once did she imagine in her wildest dreams that Ophelia would be involved with Malfoy.

"I got to know Lucius in school and we somehow became close...hopefully. He gained my trust and I hope I gained his too. We continued to talk even after he graduated. That's it." 

"But the Malfoys are famous for discriminating against muggle born and half bloods. Are you really a pureblood?" Cissney asked checking Ophelia from head to toe.

"Seems so. My birth mother was a witch and my birth father is...an interesting individual." She said having a quick flash of Tom's face.

"Why don't you tell Mulciber that? He always mutters curses at you." 

"Mulciber is all words and no action. Recently I've been more careful around Rosier. He creeps me out." Ophelia admitted remembering Zabini's piece of advice. 

Cissney frowned as she seemed to think about something.

"I witnessed Evan fighting with Katie once and he looked ready to slap her. If he is a danger to his sister than he is definitely a danger to Gryffindors." 

"Have you been extra careful to them because they hang around Zabini? Or did it just happen?" Ophelia asked already receiving the answer by looking at her blushing cheeks. 

"Anyway, Rosier is not a Slytherin you can befriend. There are so many rumours around the school about him and what he does in and out of Hogwarts. He is just as bad as Rodolphus." She replied shuddering at what she heard. 

* * *

The rest of the evening passed well, with Cissney keeping close to Ophelia while house elves came to bring them biscuits and tea. One of them was Dobby, his big eyes staring at the girls with so much intensity that Cissney couldn't even eat.

"Dobby, is there something you want to say?" Ophelia asked seeing how most elves left yet not him.

"...no," he said after he thought a bit about the circumstances. He glanced at the tray of cookies, then up at Cissney and then he left.

"That is the weirdest house elf I had ever seen. He seems so unlike his kind."

"What do you mean? Because he seems to be more confident in his own decisions?"

"That's the thing, Pheli. House elves have been treated like slaves for generations. They do not have opinions and they do not trust themselves. They have to trust their masters and that's it." Cissney explained knowing Ophelia disliked the truth. "We never had house elves but old families like Malfoy, Black or Lestrange cannot imagine their households empty. It's the reality we're living in."

"So what? You think Dobby is in danger?" It was stupid of her to ask that after Lucius said himself that he will punish the elf for chatting with her. At a second thought, maybe she could free him too.

"I know that look! Don't try to help him or else Malfoy will throw you in the dungeons. I'm sure he has one, somewhere."

It was so odd to have this type of conversation with Cissney. She seemed so genuine in caring for Ophelia's safety even if she didn't know half of what was actually going on. But they have slept in the same dormitory for four years and that had to mean something, or at least that was what Ophelia wanted to believe.

"Listen, Cissney, my mother believed and helped this Dark Lord before. She gave him her life and when she realized what he was doing was terrible, she tried to leave. But that's not possible, Cissney. Once you become a follower, you can never go back to a normal life. Mum died because of him." Ophelia explained, moving closer to her friend, "Promise me that you won't go along with your father's decision. There's no need for you to be in such surroundings." 

"What about you? You _can_?"

Hearing Ophelia's plead, Cissney felt like the girl didn't know who she was talking to. Cissney was not absent minded and she wasn't foolish.

"You know, I have no idea what you have been doing these four years to lead you here. But we are the same age, I have enough life experience and brains to know what choice is good for my future." She said her tone rising as her anger became poignant. 

"I didn't want to sound proud. I just want you to be happy." Ophelia retreated into a soft and meek attitude. 

The rest of the time was spent in silence. The door cracked open enough for a house elf to peek inside but there was nothing to be wary of. As soon as Mr. and Mrs. Littlewood returned, Cissney got up and reasoned that they still have to visit her aunt so they should leave. They did, Malfoy already setting another meeting with Mr. Littlewood.

"I hope you have been more than gallant with Mr. Littlewood's daughter," Mr. Malfoy mumbled grumpily, his mask breaking once the guests left. 

"Of course, your majesty. Anything for you," she replied knowing it will annoy him. He scoffed and glared at her but that was all. Mrs. Malfoy was already down in the kitchen complaining about the food and Lucius was probably still upstairs.

Walking aimlessly around, she found him in the library reading what she imagined was a book about dark arts. 

"Dobby's been watching me closely today. Did you really think I would get mad and curse my house mate?"

"No. But an angry teenage girl can be dangerous when she hears that her friend has spoken to her crush more than she did." He answered not taking his eyes off the book.

Ophelia sighed heavily as if the world just crashed on her back. She didn't think about jealousy because there was nothing to be jealous about. Everyone knew Cissney liked Zabini so there was no reason why she would interfere. She only talked to him because of Potter so he should take half the blame. 

Having nothing to do, she just looked around which brought her in front of an old tales book. She had it too, only hers was well kept unlike this. 

"Hey, Lucius, are we really friends? Or are you keeping me safe for a later sacrifice?" She asked, only partially being sarcastic. 

"Who knows? You didn't save my life yet so I didn't get anything for babysitting you. If anything, you bring me more problems." He answered from his seat.

"What will happen to the kids that want to become Death Eaters? What if they lose their identities and become like house elves?" She added feeling a knot form in her stomach at such a dreary future.

"If they follow the Dark Lord and submit to his power, they will live a prosperous life. But if not, if they think even for a moment that they cannot continue, they will be getting rid of."

"He'll kill them?" She asked fearing for her Slytherin friends.

"No. He will torture them in ways you cannot imagine and then, maybe kill them. A broken soul is worse than a dead body."


	75. Fight with Father

After such a dark hypothesis stuck in her mind, Ophelia intended to go into her room and think it over but while going up the stairs, someone grabbed her hand. She looked down and saw Dylis. His eyes were watery but he wasn't crying just yet.

"Miss Ophelia has to help Dylis. Mister Cerberus has been caught." He whimpered as if every word was a blow to his heart.

 _"What?_ By who?"

"Dylis' former master. He is kept prisoner in a cell like Dylis was...the Dark Lord is there too." Dylis whispered, terrified of the last part.

Ophelia narrowed her eyes and rushed back Malfoy. Lucius rose and opened his mouth but she shut him up immediately.

"This was all just a distraction. You wanted me to get more worried about Cissney so that I won't be able to find out the truth! Tom is torturing Cerberus for information about Peverell!" She shouted angrily.

Lucius was so shocked that he couldn't even mutter a response but after thinking it through, he finally knew what to say.

"What are you talking about?" 

But Ophelia was so angry and worried that she couldn't control her temper. Green lightning engulfed her hand and without a word she stunned Lucius. He groaned and got up sourly only to be suddenly lifted into the air.

"You and I will go on a trip to Lestrange and save my guardian."

That was definitely an order.

* * *

When Ophelia and Lucius arrived at the mansion, they found it silent. The brothers were not around and house elves were staring at her like she was the Devil himself.

"They are scared you will free them too." Lucius explained but Ophelia gave him a sarcastic glance.

"That cannot be it, Dylis is a lot happier as a free elf." 

"I'm sure," he replied sarcastically.

Ophelia glared at him but did not pester on the subject since there was a bigger reason for them to trespass. 

"Do not need to be so quiet. I'm sure they are all in the cell, taking turns." Lucius said jokingly but Ophelia shuddered at the thought. 

The way down into the basement was free and house elves did not dare stay in their way. Once she opened the door, however, she froze. Even Lucius got a chill down his spine at the way Lestrange and his oldest son were laughing while another man screamed in utter pain.

"Wait. You can't just barge in there waving around your hands."

"I'm going to stun them. I know how to duel and I'm fast enough to protect myself...and you." She was still not sure she wanted to help him out of the mess after taking part in Tom's scheme. 

The screams intensified as she heard Tom's voice asking the poor victim about a subject that Ophelia was tired of.

As they sneaked closer to the door towards the darkest and deepest cell in the basement (the same Rodolphus trained Ophelia in) and Lucius stopped. 

"What are you doing?" She asked before she glanced at his hands. "You are terrified of Tom." 

"I'm not the only one. He may be father or Tom for you but for the rest of us he is the Dark Lord." Lucius whispered trying not to hyperventilate though it was so hard just standing in front of that door.

"You realize that now?" 

She sounded so confident and so powerful that Lucius wondered if she was registering just how deadly was the situation. They could die in the next few minutes but she didn't seem bothered by that idea. 

"You're still a child," he mumbled to himself as she turned the knob and silence fell on the other side.

"Where is he, Knowingall? Just give me the answer and you're free. So easy, so fast," Tom hissed in Cerberus' face, one hand grasping his face while the other held his wand at Cerberus' temple. 

"Go to Hell," The owl man whispered through gritted teeth. 

"Crucio!" Mr. Lestrange shouted before Cerberus gasped, the sound reminding Rodolphus of a deer caught in a trap.

"Tsk, tsk, you make me do such bad things, Cerberus. I dislike hurting people that aid my daughter and yet you give me no choice. If you do not give me Peverell's location, I might just oversee how well you taught Ophelia Legilimency." 

"If-if I tell you, you-you will k-kill him," Cerberus barely muttered, blood dripping from the corner of his mouth. That was not his only bloody spot on the face; no, he had a splinched ear, both his eyes were swollen and his whole face was red from the tension he was feeling from using Occlumency so much. He looked like his head was soon going to explode but he still had his loyalty and pride.

"And? All he has ever done is meddle into others' lives and ruin them. Aren't I right, Ophelia?" He asked already sensing his daughter enter the cell. 

Lucius swallowed nervously as he watched Tom straighten up and move towards them. His cold eyes fell over him for a moment before they shifted on his daughter. 

Ophelia looked up at him but couldn't see past his big form. He was dressed in a dark cloak and his face seemed to have changed over the period of time they haven't met.

Rodolphus glared at his former colleague and almost hissed at him but stopped himself in time. Tom turned to them with a pleasing expression.

"Rodolphus, join your father and Lucius and do me the favour of letting me alone with my daughter." 

Mr. Lestrange seemed taken aback that his precious Dark Lord gave the order to his son rather than himself but didn't utter a word against it. The three men stepped outside, one more grateful than the others, and closed the door. Tom waved his wand and a high noise informed everyone that he locked himself inside. He walked slowly and moved behind her, put his hands on her shoulders and urged her near the victim. He stopped her, by literally plunging his nails into her skin, right in front of the bloody mess that was Cerberus Knowingall.

Ophelia gasped as she let her eyes travel over his body: Cerberus was a fit man more or less but nobody could have the strength to stand with such deep wounds that still bled. He was placed against the wall, hands chained behind while he could barely stand on his knees. His clothes were torn up, dirty and he smelled of blood, sweat and piss. 

"Men like this failed player do not deserve to be left alive if they do not obey to those stronger than them." Tom started, leaning to her right ear. Only his breath sent chills all through her body. "Now, daughter, raise your wand and whisper, Crucio," he used her wand in order to hit Cerberus with the curse. She knew how much it hurt but it was even worse being the one inflicting the pain. She remembered Zabini and how she used the cruciatus curse with such ease...and she suddenly drew her hand back. Tom straightened himself and pointed the tip of his wand at her neck before he moved it on Cerberus.

"He is a weakness that shall be erased. You need a good influence, by guardians I shall choose to care for you." Tom informed her. 

Ophelia could feel in her heart what was coming. Cerberus was never going to give away the location of his good friend and was never going to disappoint Spinnard's memory so then what was left was preparing himself to be sacrificed. Having a quick flash of Spinnard's face, she ran and stood in front of the owl man while facing her father.

"Ophelia, move aside," Tom ordered her in a voice that resembled the hiss of a snake, "Listen to me child. Do not make me repeat myself." 

"No," her voice was shaky and her legs were like noodles. "Let him go. He's already been through enough pain."

Tom's eyes narrowed even more and he was growing angry with his daughter. She knew, everyone knew, that he could punish her badly, take her on the edge of absolute torture and even kill her if he wanted to. But Cerberus mattered to her, he taught her how it felt to have a family in a way and he protected her no matter the cost. He was not going to die, not while she was alive. 

"Are you insane! Just move already! This is not your business anyway, foolish child!" Lestrange shouted although the door was locked and he couldn't enter. He could bark all he wanted because he was not in the room with the Dark Lord. 

"He only uses you to protect himself. Why do you think every friend of Peverell is so keen to guard you? It's because they know you will come and save them. That's the only reason Dumbledore helps you too. He doesn't care! You're just a pawn in his plans." Tom started pacing around while throwing her nasty looks.

"Is that how you got Spinnard to murder grandma? Is that what you told mum in order to make her stay by your side? All those people who went against your word died miserably!" She cried out, tears dripping down her face. "You killed them all! You killed the Molleys just because they were acting as parents!" 

"I am your father, Ophelia!" It was one of the few times he ever raised his voice and it was terrifying. "You do as I say." He threatened in a lower yet angry tone.

"Or what? You will kill me? Is that it? Then go ahead. KILL ME!" she shouted before she threw her wand aside and waited for him to whisper those two deadly words. 

Tom was both shocked that she would lay her life for someone who wasn't family but moreover he was shocked that she had the impression he would give in. Sincerely, he had to control himself and think of the true reason he let her live for all these years. 

With slow moves, he lowered his wand and walked closer to her. His eyes were beautiful to look into but deadly and ironically, so were hers. Ophelia was watching her father with defiant green orbs but they looked nothing like her mother's. That was the second reason why it was so hard to get rid of her from the beginning: she was growing up to look so much like Tom.

"Take him and leave. But you will come back, daughter, and you will pay for your little overconfident act." He informed her, audibly getting calmer. His mind was already planning her torture and he was probably going to cover it by saying it was training for her future.

Ophelia couldn't breath until Dylis appeared and took them back home. Apparating was needed, it seemed, so she might as well learn how to do it soon. 

They placed Cerberus on his bed before Dylis started to work on the wounds. He rose Cerberus' shirt and unveiled many bloody spots inflicted by her father. She couldn't stand looking and left, going straight into the kitchen to brew tea. While the water was boiling, she started to cry silently. Now that she was out of his sight, fear crept into her heart. Tom could take everyone she knew and torture them in gruesome ways and she may not be there to stop him all the time. What then? Indeed, what then...

Morning came and Ophelia woke up at the sweet smell of chamomile tea. She opened her eyes groggily and yawned, feeling like she went through a real fight not just a verbal one. 

"Good morning," 

Hearing  _that_ voice, as calm as if nothing in the world mattered, made her realize the person that brew tea was not Dylis. Idris was standing across her, looking just like he did during his classes.

"Here, this will calm you down. I'm sure you had an interesting time with your father." He added pushing a mug towards her. "I promise you it's nothing but tea."

"Why are you here? How did you know I was here?" 

"When a Malfoy invites Tom's daughter to his place, something will definitely happen. That, and I got a flash of Cerberus being brought in a very bad condition back home."

"Who was the informant? Peverell the kitten?" She asked not waiting for a serious answer from him.

"Maybe. Vernon Peverell is a sly bastard, even under the form of a pet." 

"You can say that again. I don't understand why dad is so desperate to find him. He's a cat, for Merlin's sake!" She moaned, finding her professor as the perfect listener. 

"It's not his physical power that he wants but his memories. Peverell holds many secrets and not all of them regard you and Lillian. There is more at stake," he explained sounding nothing like the sassy mysterious man that first stepped into the house. He seemed a lot nicer, had visibly lowered his guard and looked _at_ her not at an image of someone else.

"I know you and James have been digging up my past. I let you do it since I knew you couldn't find anything relevant." 

"So what then, you deny getting angry at your boyfriend and pulling him off the Astronomy Tower?" She asked with more menace than she intended. 

"...no. He was aware of my darker side and pushed me into losing my temper. He died because he was foolish." He admitted rather easily. 

"But I remember you said Rosier is the one that destroyed your life. Then, the real problem, the heavy burden, is from before you were expelled?" She asked hoping he was in a good enough mood to lower his defences even more. 

Idris leaned back and crossed one leg over the other while drumming his fingers on the table. His eyes were looking at her with ever changing emotions: one time it was amusement while the other time was sorrow before it changed again into mischief. And then those eyes that seemed to glance at the world with such superiority were drown in nostalgia. Ophelia took a shaky breath as she finally realized he was not only going to tell her- he was going to show her!


	76. A Tragedy

It felt much like she was sucked into a tunnel that went on and on, with no light and only doors on each side that were safely locked. She couldn’t move at all but something seemed to push her towards a black column through which she could see faint rays of light.

A sudden wave of energy went through her body and she felt her hands tremble while she started to feel nauseous. It reminded her of the time she Apparated with Spinnard, a moment she dreaded even if she knew it was going to come in hand later. 

_Once she entered through the light, everything became dark and the weather was freezing cold. She opened her eyes and saw Dumbledore talking to a petite woman with long brown hair and teary eyes. She had to walk closer in order to hear them because they were trying to be as quiet and secretive as possible. It was quite clear that the woman was a Veela; although she looked quite the opposite of her son, she was beautiful beyond words._

_“Please, you have to take him with you,” the woman pleaded, her voice giving away the fear and pity she felt. “Albus, he doesn’t know and I’ve been trying so hard to hide and come up with logical explanations but he’s going to be 10 soon. Just, take him one year earlier.”_

_Dumbledore sighed but his face was impossible to read. He seemed to be deep in thought but the answer that followed was a surprise._

_“I’m sorry but you will have to endure it one more year. I will help you in any way I can, if you want to send him away. But I don’t know if Hogwarts will welcome him, Emily. He’s dangerous.” Dumbledore replied, looking at the woman with cold blue eyes. “A wizard cannot repress his powers consciously for as long as your son has. If he suddenly uses them under no surveillance, he can easily lose control.”_

_It was the first time Ophelia had seen that kind of distant look on the headmaster. He was younger, that was for sure, and he was not in a posture of power at school but he had a heart and this woman was obviously afraid that something bad will happen to her child._

_“You don’t understand, Albus. His father will kill both of us if he discovers the truth. I played stupid for so long, I cannot have my son be denied who he really is. I can see him struggling every day while his father’s telling stories of his grand-parents and how they sacrificed witches to cleanse their village.”_

_“That is the problem, Emily. You, a Veela, should have not married a muggle with such principles. You made him an obscurial.”_

_“I know. I know. I should have left but I love him, Albus. I love Richard and I love Idris and-“_

_“You have to choose or else one of them will die.” Dumbledore said looking at Emily with pity mixed with some type of judgmental stare. He knew what was more important to her and from the looks of it her wizard son was second place._

_Ophelia stared at Emily with the same cold gaze as Dumbledore and couldn’t believe a mother was ready to sacrifice her son just to be with a mere muggle. Anger filled her heart and she couldn’t help but wonder how Idris came in the possession of this particular memory._

_Her answer came with the next pull into the same nauseous state while she felt her eyes roll in the back of her mind. It all stopped when she arrived at Hogwarts. She was in the Transfiguration classroom which looked exactly the same as it did in her time. She saw many students from Hufflepuff talk about what Dumbledore was going to show them. It was maybe the beginning of the year because the students were way too excited. Ophelia walked to Idris, the boy that was like a bright white spot in a crowd of yellows. She couldn’t help but stare at the teenage boy in awe. She had to rub her eyes twice and look at him from different angles in search of a bad feature but there was none. He was beautiful with medium length white hair that was a lot messier than she expected and his clothes were in the same worn out state as Potter’s because of all the extracurricular activities, some worse than others. But his face was bright, kind, he was smiling quite a bit and he looked happy._

_And then the image darkened. Every student vanished except Idris and another boy, both staring at each other as if ready to raise their wands and attack._

_“Stay away from my sister, Veela-boy. Just because you’re handsome does not give you the right to play with Rosie’s heart.” The boy hissed glaring at Idris who was twice his height._

_“I only helped her study for our exams. I never intended for her to fancy me so passionately.”_

_The tone the white haired boy used was not the right one in this case. Idris sounded like the proud asshole Ophelia met on the first day and that was enough to annoy a bubbly Cerberus, so the effect on this boy was double!_

_“Expelliarmus!” the boy shouted, moving fast towards Idris._

_He probably wanted to get a punch or two but Idris caught his fist and bent it backwards, his height making him look a lot like he was going to torture the boy. His strength was no joke as the Veela-boy literally forced the other boy to kneel in front of him. It reminded Ophelia of Lucius Malfoy now that she got a better look._

_“Do not believe for one moment that a half-blood like yourself can touch me, Whitby. Your sister tried to slip me some love potion and we both know she got obsessed by herself. I only did what professor McGonagall asked.”_

_The boy, Whitby, glared up at Idris before he used some type of spell to get himself free. Then he muttered curse after curse, but Idris was fast and deflected them all. One hit him, though. Whitby was so angry that he used the cruciatus curse and Idris did not expect it. He was thrown into the door and his whole body started convulsing. It was not only painful but sensing that blood dripped from his right ear, he got angry. He got up and didn’t care that the door cracked open. He didn’t care about anything and his eyes were set on the boy in front of him. And then Ophelia felt this veil over her eyes as if the memory itself was so foggy that not even Idris could remember it exactly. When it ended, Whitby was lying on the ground in a poor state. Dumbledore came in with the headmaster of that time and they looked between the victim and his attacker. Dumbledore’s heavy gaze was the same as McGonagall’s when she came to visit Ophelia after her duel with Zabini._

_Another memory that she was pushed into was one between two boys. They were in the library and they were whispering and fighting at the same time. Taking a long look around, she noticed it was another year because Whitby was well, studying with his classmates, but he did have a scar on his neck that looked like someone tried to hang him but had second thoughts before he could kill him. But Ophelia shook that off and turned to the boy that interested her._

_“I know your secret, Idris. Trust me I can help you control it.” Newt said, watching his friend with worry in his eyes. He was an average boy compared to Idris in physique but he seemed very stubborn._

_“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Idris answered, taking a book off the shelf. Newt threw his friend a skeptical look and followed him as he sat at a desk and opened his book in order to study._

_“We sleep in the same bedroom, we go to the same classes, we study in the same places and when we want to be alone, we go in the Astronomy Tower.”_

_“You go as close to the Forest as possible,” Idris commented, glancing up at Newt for a moment before he hid his face again in the book._

_“I saw you,” The thin boy whispered, “I saw it. That dark form is unnatural and it got me curious. You’re an Obscurial, aren’t you?”  
Idris froze and with slow moves and slow intakes of breath he put the book aside and leaned over the table._

_“Do not say a word about it to anyone. Not even Dumbledore or your pretty friend in Slytherin!” He hissed._

_“I can help you keep it under control. I read a few books about it this summer and-” Newt looked eager to try out what he read._

_“You don’t know how to, Newt. Just leave me be.” That was a very Idris thing._

_“If something happens-“ Newt seemed to be aware of something that the white haired boy didn’t. “You know how Slytherins have been particularly greedy this year. Let me remind you that ever since that incident, Rosier has been trying to lure you in.”_

_“Rosier is a fool but even if he does something, I’ll take responsibility. But nothing will happen, I assure you. I’ve been controlling it ever since I was a child. This bubble of darkness cannot eat me,” He said, sounding so sure._

_“But how? Your mother is a Veela and your father is a muggle! How can you become an obscurial when your family knows-“ Newt stopped when he saw the frown on his friend’s face. “Are you serious? But how can that be?!”_

_“My father hates witches; his whole family is very paranoid and hates anything that is odd. Mom has been lying to him that I go to an all boys’ boarding school for the past four years.”_

_So he was a fourth year and seemed to trust this Newt enough to confide into him. It felt different, seeing this side of someone whose first impression was one of the most insufferable bastards in the world. As a student, Idris was just a normal wizard going through school like a regular kid. His hair was shorter this year and it looked like his mother tried to color it a darker shade but it didn’t work. Ophelia could see the brown around his ears and a bit on the back of his neck but most of his hair was snowy white._

_“What kind of abnormal idea is that? Are you telling me that those stories about witches burned on a stake are real?” Newt asked, his eyes widening at the information._

_“Seems so, at least in my father’s village. Mum is sure that if dad ever finds out the truth, he’ll kill us.” He answered, his father’s words echoing in his mind. Ophelia could hear it too and it was chilling._

_**Witches, ha! I told ya mother before, kid, that if I ever find one I’ll do the same as my grandfather. A noble man he was! There was one a little girl your age and do you know what she did? She killed a crow and used its heart for soup! Then my old man witnessed his old man hanging that little girl. She was a witch. That’s what they all deserve, to die and be sent back to Hell.** _

_Ophelia shuddered at the way this man was remembering a story so grotesque and was telling it to his kid, whose age was not even 11 yet! It was no surprise that Idris was forced to repress his magic with the enemy at home. If something were to happen around him that would be the end. And his American accent and the way he was speaking with such passion and admiration for those killers; it was horrible._

_And then it changed again and Ophelia found herself in the Entrance Hall. Dumbledore was there with Newt and Idris. The latter was pissed off but he was also incredibly scared._

_“I have to go back! My mother is in danger, you have to help me professor!” Idris shouted, alarming Newt._

_“Professor, it seems someone sent Mr. Eynon a letter in which he was asked if he’d like to send his son to a Quidditch camp this summer.” Newt explained slowly. "It seems it was very detailed."_

_“If you go, I’m afraid you may not be allowed back, Idris.” Dumbledore said looking knowingly at the white haired boy. Newt glanced curiously at his friend but Idris seemed to understand what his professor meant._

_“I know.”_

_“If your mother is indeed in desperate need of help, I allow you to go but the headmaster will be angry when he will find out.” Dumbledore added but it was clear the choice was already made._

_“I’ll go. I’ll use the hippogriff we have in care of magical creatures in order to get there in time. Newt offered to help me get close enough for it to accept me.” Idris explained._

_And then the images fast forwarded to the moment he was dropped in front of his house. The lights were on and noise was coming out an open window. Idris swallowed nervously and took one step to the house before he heard his mother scream in pain. His eyes widened and he rushed inside with incredible speed._

_“Mum!”_

_Emily Eynon was on the ground with blood dripping down her temples. She had bruises all over her arms and neck and one of her eyes was dark purple. Idris was trying his best to keep himself in check but once he noted how much the bruise on her neck looked like fingers, he broke._

_“YOU! HOW DARE YOU TRY AND STRANGLE HER!” he screamed at Richard but the man couldn’t care less._

_“So I was right huh? This wench fooled me for five years! Boys’ boarding school, my ass! You were playing with other oddities like you!”  He screamed as well but his tone was hoarser, he had used most of his vocal power when yelling at his wife.  “Fifteen years! For fifteen long years you and your mother lied to me! I could feel something was wrong when you were born with white hair and pale skin but that freak Emily knew exactly how to make me accept you. I bet you poured potions in my food and made me lose my mind for a while but not anymore. I know what you are and you will pay for making me look like an idiot!”_

_“Don’t dare threaten me,” Idris hissed, his eyes narrowing so much that his orbs could hardly be seen._

_“You freak! You dare tell me what I can’t do! I’m going to burn this house and you will die in agony!”_

_Ophelia watched with wide eyes and her mouth agape as Richard Eynon took a pack of matches and lit one up before throwing it randomly in the house. He did that again and again until the matches ran out and little fires enlightened his blue eyes._

_“I’m going to kill you,” Idris muttered, anger filling every corner of his body._

_Emily noticed the shadows gathering around her son, dark fog forming once they reached his body. He got up slowly and glared at the man that was enjoying the sight way too much._

_“No, Idris. No, please, don’t,” she moaned but could hardly move her arms. She reached out towards him as much as she could but that image alone made Idris feel even worse._

_“I’m going to kill you,” he muttered again, but louder this time. “I’M GOING TO KILL YOU!”_

_Ophelia took a step back although she knew she was much like a ghost and nothing could touch her. The darkness that surrounded Idris was so powerful and so thick that she could barely see his white hair. He became this giant ball of shadow and it truthfully looked like a dozen Dementors fused together into this giant creature with no real shape._

_In one blink, Ophelia found herself in the middle of a ruin. She looked around and noticed that the whole neighborhood was like a huge crater and nothing survived._

_“They’re coming after you,” that was definitely Dumbledore’s voice. He sounded sad, if not sorry even._

_“I know,” Idris answered, standing in the middle of the blast. It was so, so silent._

_The images mixed together until Ophelia was thrown into another memory. She was in the Ministry, she guessed from the way everyone seemed so formal and all mighty. It was somewhere underground and she was standing a few feet from a door. She thought several times if she should enter or not but she had to see for herself. Inside, she found a lot of wizards around a cage where Idris was quietly standing in. It was a freaking cage! As if he was an animal! That was not what she expected, not from the Wizengamot she knew. But then she heard his name, the man that was about to punish the fifth year Hufflepuff._

_“Idris Eynon, you have murdered ten muggles and destroyed their homes completely; you used magic in front of a non-magical person and threatened to kill them. Am I wrong?” the judge asked, staring at the boy with the same glint as Rodolphus Lestrange._

_“No, sir.” He replied, making the whole crowd gasp in horror._

_“You will rot in Azkaban.” The judge added sounding way too happy about his sentence._

_At that moment, a boy came running to the cage and stood in front of it as if to protect it. He was followed by Dumbledore who looked at Idris with pity._

_“It was not his fault, Rosier. It seems a student, one who had problems with Mr. Eynon here, had sent a compromising letter to his family. It led to breaking most rules at Hogwarts and I do agree that he should be expelled. But Azkaban is too much for such a young boy.” Dumbledore started his pleading._

_“Is that so?” Rosier the Judge asked sarcastically, “Have you forgotten that he murdered ten muggles, Dumbledore? Or is that nothing to you?”_

_“But sir! I apologize but I found out at school that it was a Slytherin that sent that letter knowing what was going to happen!” Newt interfered, with way too much spirit for his status as an underage student._

_“And who is this supposed Slytherin?”_

_Newt glanced at Dumbledore uncomfortably before he muttered, “Augustus Rosier. Your son, sir,”_

_Rosier the Judge rose on his feet and glared at the Hufflepuff in such an evil way that she understood now that was a family trait. Rosier that was bugging her was a lot like his ancestors._

_“How dare you insult my family, boy. Take him away! They let students come and meddle into affairs that do not involve them!” Rosier ordered, a number of people pushing Newt aside harshly. “Is that what you teach our children, Dumbledore? To accuse whoever they have a feud with?”_

_“I assure you that Newt and your son have rarely interacted at school or outside it. But I do know Augustus and his friends have taken an interest in Idris. As you know, he is an obscurial and he cannot control his anger when taunted. I believe this was only a way of revealing his obscurus for someone’s enjoyment.”_

_“And you believe it was my son and his friends?! Don’t make me laugh, Dumbledore! You’re talking about all the pure-blooded houses of Britain.”_

_“That may be so but we cannot send Idris to Azkaban when he was not in control of his obscurus form.”_

_“It’s fine professor. Let them do it. I was aware of everything I was doing and I didn’t care. I wanted him dead. “Idris took the word, sounding like he was embracing himself mentally for what was to come._

_But that did not happen. Idris used his obscurus in order to break free on the way to the prison and used the same hippogriff to fly into hiding. Newt was the one that brought the creature and he was the one that informed Dumbledore of how it went. The two boys shared a few words before Idris left._

_“I believe you, never forget that.” Newt said, his eyes glinting in the moonlight with sorrow._

_“Of course you do. You believe in every pretty face, that’s a problem you’ll have later on, Newt. You’re too kind. You shouldn’t trust people so easily.”_

_“I’ll find a way to cure you. I’m sure there is some spell that we can use and if there isn’t, I’ll just have to create one.”_

_Idris chuckled and hugged his former colleague. It was a lot more meaningful than Newt thought. Ophelia sighed sadly as she realized Idris was heartbroken._

_“Goodbye, dear friend,” Idris whispered._

_That was the last time the two Hufflepuffs saw each other. They never met again, unfortunately_. 

Ophelia was pushed outside his mind and she needed a moment to regain her composure. When she registered every piece she had seen, she looked at Idris with teary eyes.

“You liked him, didn’t you? He saw past that handsome appearance and perfect scores; he saw the darkness in your heart and he was there for you. I guess he didn’t have the chance to show you if he ever found a way to get rid of your obscurus.” Ophelia commented feeling her heart tighten at the memory. 

“Newt Scamander is a legend in itself. He wrote _Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them,_ a book you still use in Hogwarts. He loved magical creatures and he had a soft spot for monsters. That was his fault. He was expelled a few months later for a different reason and he took part in events that changed the history of the wizarding world. I’m proud I was the friend of such a personality.” He said with a soft expression. 

“Is that why you are an arsehole? You’re afraid that another Rosier will pop up and mess with your life?”

“It already happened. Dumbledore came to me for help, ironically enough.  As you saw, he’s a complex person, your headmaster. I don’t advise you to trust him, Ophelia.”

“Then who should I trust? My father?”

“Trust your friends. I watched you this term and I noticed there are a handful of students that you should keep close. Potter is one them but Rabastan is not. Never trust the Lestranges or the Malfoys. They will turn against you when you need their help the most. They are cowards and cowards outlive the heroes.”  

Ophelia stared into Idris’ eyes and nodded unconsciously. She could still see traces of the monster that murdered so many people but behind that veil of darkness was an innocent and lonely boy. That was the first and last time Idris has shown his vulnerability to her.


	77. Strawberry Tart and Tea

When Dylis came down in order to prepare food for his wounded friend, he found Ophelia on the couch looking at the wall with puffy eyes. Her halos were half the size of her eyes and her skin seemed to have gotten paler than it was. Holding with both hands was a mug of what he believed was chamomile tea in order to calm down her nerves. It smelled like she added some honey because it gave off a sweet aroma. Dylis knew, he was a house elf after all. 

"Is Miss going to be alright?" Dylis asked softly, walking towards his friend. 

She didn't move an inch, didn't sketch a sign that she heard him or that she was aware of his presence. No. Ophelia's attention was focused on the mirror above the chimney from which you could see every entrance in the living room. Something was shining brightly on her finger, red and silver combined into the image of a pale snake with fire in his eyes. Tom. He hurt Cerberus for information, he murdered people left and right because they were irelevant to whatever he desired and most importantly, he was playing a dangerous game with his own daughter. Did he think she was like his followers? Did he believe she was blind to what Death Eaters signified? She could see better than anyone, she watched death fill the eyes of one who dared defy him. 

"Miss," Dylis stepped closer to her, his eyes staring with worry as he fidgeted unsure what to do next. "Should Dylis make Miss Ophelia's favorite strawberry tart for dessert?" He asked changing the subject. 

Finally, Ophelia took her eyes off her ring and looked at the sole thing that differentiated her from Tom. Dylis was caged like an animal too in the same basement under the same roof by the same family. But she saved him and he looked happy. 

"Strawberry tart sounds perfect, Dylis. Thank you," she replied with a smile.

The house elf nodded, his ears rising as he brightened up. That was all he needed in order to sigh in relief and get to cooking.

But Ophelia remained seated and her father's words rung through her mind like an unwanted echo. 

* * *

It took her several more hours to get out of that state. She walked in the garden and stared at Spinnard's fountain for a while, or maybe she was surveying the backyard since she knew there was darkness lurking in the forest. Dylis wasn't sure but he was glancing every so often just to make sure she was alright. When that was over, she verified the chimney and then she went upstairs to check on Cerberus. She opened the door and tip toed to his bed, trying to be as quiet as humanly possible. Cerberus was deep asleep, his forehead covered in sweat, his eyes squeezed shut as if he had a nightmare. He was only covered up to his chest and he has been bathed and tended by the house elf but she could still see the scratches on his arms and the bandages under his shirt. It was a horrible sight but she didn't leave this time; no, she brought a chair and stayed by his side, holding his hand tightly in order to assure him that he was safe now. 

When dinner came around, Dylis brought food for both. Cerberus opened his eyes and poked fun at how gunny he looked with two swollen eyes but Ophelia didn't laugh. 

"You should go back to Hogwarts. It's not safe here, especially after your last stunt." He said in between bites.

"I'm not leaving until I make sure you're well enough to walk." She replied shortly.

"I have Dylis to act like my nurse. You need to return. I'm sure Tom's really pissed with what you did."

"I don't care. I will save my family no matter what are the consequences." She answered, quickly stuffing her face in embarrassment. 

Cerberus looked at her with love and joy but he couldn't help add.

"He's family too." 

"Not if he hurts the people that I care about. Father will learn to listen to what I have to say too if he wants me to trust him." 

"What makes you so sure he will? He'd rather kill you." 

"No, he won't. He needs me for whatever hidden purposes he has. He needs both me and Peverell." She said before she placed her fork aside, "I heard he has bigger plans, regarding whatever it is that Peverell knew or found. I will get answers soon." 

"From a cat? He can't speak, can he?"

"But I can use legilimency to enter his mind. I'm sure that hasn't changed." 

Cerberus frowned as he reached out for a tart. Ophelia did the same and not a word was said between them. Until, Ophelia admited she had some curiosities.

"I have boy problems?" 

Cerberus spat everything out on poor Dylis in shock. 

"Excuse me?!" 

"I think I need to protect my friends by getting close to the enemy. Rosier had proven to be a problem in the past and I don't want to end up like Idris."

"Idris? What- he told you the story?" Cerberus asked surprised that she got under his skin. She, who represented the seed of darkness that Idris hated so much. "Are you sure he told you the truth?" He added still being skeptical.

"Of course. He opened up his mind and showed it to me. It was back when Dumbledore was the Transfiguration professor and Idris was just a kid. It's sad how power dictated what justice meant. Not much changed since then so I'd prefer to know what I'm going to deal with." 

"Smart, very smart. And you learned all of this by peeking into someone else's tragedy?" Cerberus asked staring at her with half a smile.

"No. But I did learn that Potter can be incredibly persuasive and loves to stick his nose into others' lives. He is the main reason why I got to know what Idris has been through but it could have ended badly so I want to  be prepared with someone like Evan Rosier." She admited thinking back to Zabini's advice. If even someone who is supposedly a friend of the enemy told her to be careful then she couldn't help but get excited.

"Miss should know that Rosier is a threat in its name alone. It is a family of pure bloods that doesn't listen, that is too unpredictable even with the other pure bloods. Dylis heard Mast- Mister Lestrange talk about them and how they tend to get ahead of themselves." 

Cerberus raised an eyebrow baffled by how his two little children were growing so fast and they were do adventurous. He  would have wanted to hug them both but his whole body hurt. 

"Ah right, how did you know where I was?" He asked Ophelia who in exchange pointed at Dylis. The house elf looked up with feigned innocence since he was aware of his position. Cerberus narrowed his eyes at the doey eyed Dylis but the elf did not change his expression.

"Dylis did what he believed was good. Miss is the only person that can enter and leave without being harmed by the Dark Lord." 

Ophelia did not agree. She was good while she was needed but once that was done, she wondered if Tom would kill her.

* * *

A few days passed and Ophelia found herself enjoying time at home a lot more than she expected. She particularly liked to cook with Dylis but she was so messy that the house elf ended up throwing her out. Idris visited once more only to talk to Cerberus and bring mysterious pouches that he'd deposit in Spinnard's room. Cerberus couldn't move much, he barely recuperated enough strength in his legs to go in the kitchen but he always had a smile which was enough to reassure Ophelia that he was doing well. She spent the rest of the holidays there and returned to school one day earlier than the rest. When she walked out of the chimney in Idris' office she looked so much better than when she left. 

"A pleasing holiday, I guess?" The white haired obscurial asked although he was far more interested in the newspaper. More people died and he was sure it was done in aftermath of how Ophelia responded to her father's ideals. 

"It was fine. I'm not so sure I want the rest to return to school, though. It's a lot quieter without Potter and Black." She added not fully meaning what she said. 

Idris sighed at the name. James was troublesome when he wasn't interested in the subject taught and he was always late. How could a student that practically lives a few floors from the classroom be late?!

"That boy should act more like his father."

"At least they are both good friends material." Ophelia joked to which Idris actually smiled, it was small but it was there. "You seem to have gotten a lot more comfortable with me."

"You better go and unpack. Don't be late for my classes from now on." He ordered her coldly.

Ophelia rolled her eyes seeing him act like a brat again.

Next day was Monday and kids filled the common room from early in the morning. Ophelia was having breakfast in the Great Hall when she heard Potter's voice boom through the door. 

"I spent two hours listening to that fat lady sing an opera. I could have bought a new broom with the money dad wasted on that concert." He told Remus who wasn't particularly interested.

"A ticket to the Christmas concert is expensive. You should consider yourself lucky that your father went to such lengths to buy them." Lily explained coming from behind the boys. 

Ophelia noticed Cissney's died blonde hair and looked down at her plate. She hoped it won't be very awkward after what happened at the Malfoy Manor but she doubted Cissney would be her usual self.

"Badge! You wouldn't believe how eager I was to see you!" Potter shouted as he approached her. He sat next to her and wrapped an arm around her pulling her close. "What about our problem?" He whispered.

"I actually think we should drop it." She answered.

"No, no, no, I never quit."

"Well, you should because Zabini died out of pure stupidity. He was Idris' boyfriend at the time and knowingly fueled his rage to the point he was thrown into nothingness." 

There was silence from the boy as he registered the information. His breathing was the same as if he were asleep and his grip on her loosened. Ophelia leaned back and looked up at his face but it was hard to see what he was thinking.

Ophelia turned to the girls and her eyes fell on Cissney. The two made eye contact for one moment before the latter moved her eyes on anything but her classmate. Fortunately, Lily sat across Ophelia and the other two girls on her right side while Peter and Frank took her left side. Remus sat next to Ophelia, to her luck, and he smiled at her before telling her everything he had read on DADA in his free time. 

Potter didn't say much to Ophelia afterwards. With the cold passing and the nature coming back to life, the Quidditch Final was approaching and so was Valentine's Day. Girls were going crazy.

"The hormones in this room are overwhelming." Sirius sighed feeling burdened.

"Says the guy who gets all the attention," Frank commented rolling his eyes.

"I think you should be careful, Black. I heard some girls talking about dropping Amortentia in your drink and food." Lily said genuinely worried for her classmates.

"What about you, Littlewood? Finally going to talk to Zabini?" Peter asked making Cissney frown.

The girl looked at the Slytherin table but her crush was not there. Then she looked at Ophelia but contrary to what she expected the brunette was well and content. It was annoying.

"Actually, he asked me on a date on Valentine's." Cissney replied smugly.

"What?! When?! How?!" 

The boys being boys over reacted and howled and made a lot of comments but Ophelia bit her lip in order not to smile. At least he was a man of his word and his timing was wonderful. 

"Finally one of us will have a date!" Frank exclaimed getting Sirius to scowl in offence. 

"Excuse you, I've had plenty already!" Black said before his eyes fell on Ophelia, who seemed to be the easiest target, "But maybe one girl will follow your example Littlewood. I heard some stuff about a Slytherin having a crush on our sour grape." He added with a wolfish grin. 

That was not good, that was really bad timing. Ophelia froze and looked at the curious glances all around her. Cissney was glaring at her for some reason. Who knew what she was thinking about after finding out of her links to Malfoy.

* * *

After breakfast while walking happily to the common room, Sirius got pulled aside by someone. The grip on his shoulder was so strong that he believed it was a guy but no. 

"What are you doing Molley?" 

"Who has a crush on me?" Ophelia asked right away.

"What?"

"You said you heard that a Slytherin has a crush on me. I want to know his identity." She repeated slowly.

"What if I was lying?" Sirius asked jokingly but Ophelia was not in a playful mood.

"Because Evan Rosier told me the same thing a while back. So? Did Regulus say something?"

Black watched her for a few moments, finally noticing that she looked more worried than anything.

"Did Rosier do anything to you?" He asked growing serious. "If he did, tell me. I'll take care of him."

"Aren't you my prince charming?" She said sarcastically before she leaned againat the wall, relaxing a bit. She must have looked very tense if Sirius offered his help.

"I can be." He answered with a grin but that soon fell, "I'm serious though. If Rosier threatens you, tell me. I know how he is."

"The Rosiers are really bad, aren't they?" 

"You have no idea. We went to Lestrange once and Rosier was there with his family. Evan is wicked but his father is twice as bad. He made my mother shut up for the whole three hours we spent there and that is an accomplishment." He said, his expression reflecting his mixed emotions. 

"What about the Dark Lord? Is Rosier a follower too?" She asked tilting her head to the side curiously.

"Evan is doing his best to become a Death Eater and he is a manipulative shit. He goes around first years and tells them what they want to hear; world dominance and whatever. But Molley, there are muggle born and half bloods in Slytherin too and Rosier is pulling them into a trap." Black concluded looking into her eyes with such intensity that she leaned back at one point. 

"You know a lot." 

"Mother has been implying that I should be more like him, which is maddening. But I'm worried he'll get Regulus entangled in this mess." He added genuinely concerned for his little brother. 

It was always a pleasure to see how much Sirius could change when talking about Regulus. His whole face was suddenly the one of a boy that has seen and done more than he let out, he was gleaming in this handsome light, probably because he was showing a piece of himself that was so different from how he was daily. In such moments Ophelia could see why girls flocked around him. 

"So, do you know who that Slytherin is?" She changed the subject and he needed a second to remember why he was pulled around the corner in the first place.

"No. But I know how we can find out. Let's go on a date, Molley." He said with a mischevious glint in his dark eyes. 

If she could, she would have cursed him and say it was bullocks. But she didn't; she actually agreed to go on a date with Sirius thinking that it won't have any repercussions. Oh boy, she was so naive.

* * *

Meanwhile, all the days that have passed showed many details that Idris did not pick up before. Maybe because he opened up to that spawn of darkness but he could see exactly what was the way to get to Ophelia by not interferig at all. Dumbledore was probably using the same method, only he had bigger problems to deal with and could rarely use this chance to see what Ophelia was thinking.

A knock interrupted his tea time and he allowed the person at the door to enter by opening it for him. 

"What did you have to talk to me about, professor?" Severus asked meekly, meeting Eynon separately for the first time. 

Idris knew from the moment he looked at Ophelia that her trust in her father was wavering and he had to help and groom that grain of doubt. Snape was her friend and he was also eager to become part of his house's league of dark wizards.

"Take a seat and let's have a chat, shall we?"

Severus sat down instantly and looked at his professor with wide owlish eyes. Looking at him more carefully, Idris wondered why Ophelia was holding onto this odd boy.

"I'm sure you know already that the staff at school are very wary of Ophelia's father." Idris started, "He is not a man you want to meet." 

"Then it's fine since I had never met him." Severus answered politely.

"I know you believe that power is the only way that can raise you from being a half blood but it isn't." Eynon said getting to the point.

"I don't understand professor." Severus added a bit confused where the conversation was going. 

"You are a smart boy, Severus. Don't throw your life away just because others take your choices for you. You should decide that. I just want to give you an advice: friendship can save your life. That applies to me and it also applies to you and Ophelia. Trust her, listen to her, stay by her side not her father's. Tom can turn out to be your worst nightmare, whether he is near or far." 

"I'm not a puppet, professor. I will do what I think is best for me. Why would my friendship with Ophelia matter?"

"We both know that she is your shield against any type of threat, such as the Death Eaters or even the Dark Lord."

"I don't need Ophelia to protect me." Severus hissed angrily.

"You need her just as much as she needs you."

"I do not want her to protect me from her father. We're friends for a different reason."

"Really? Please share it with me." Idris sounded just like he did when he was aware a student didn't know the answer in class; he was judging with a tint of irony. 

Severus stared at Idris' cold eyes and searched for an answer. At first he wanted to mention Lily, how those two were friends and that helped. Then he thought how Ophelia's talent for dark arts was good enough to help him and in exchange he was giving her Potions notes. But the answer was another.

"She helps me learn Occlumency and Legilimency." He replied. 

Idris was not convinced.

"Just remember what I said. There will come a time when you will have to choose between her friendship and your loyalty to her father." 

"Have you looked into the future?" Severus asked once he left. He couldn't have said that directly to his face since he was a professor but that didn't mean Snape was not annoyed. "What problems does he have anyway? Doesn't he hate everyone?" He added, feeling like everybody was threatening or advising him regarding the Dark Lord's daughter. 

Severus did not expect however to have a beautiful brown owl come to him as soon as he entered the dormitory. His smile faded when he noticed the owl had a letter wrapped around his right foot. Curiosity was one of his many flaws so he opened it without a second thought. 

"No matter what you think, I didn't know Lestrange had taken Knowingall and locked him in the dungeons. Moreover, I did not know the Dark Lord personally visited them as my father did not either. He was disappointed, to put it in better words. I was not punished, but you will be. Take care, Ophelia."

Severus read and shoved it in his pocket. Great, she did something troublesome again.


End file.
